Ocean Star
by xJadeRainx
Summary: A year has passed since Hali vanquished Tiamat from the sea. Now, Hali must search for the Ocean's Star, before the month is up. But must all this be put on hold, when little Adelaide goes missing?
1. Chapter 1 Cousins by the Dozen

_A list of Hali's cousins:_

_

* * *

_

**Attina's children from oldest to youngest:**

**Merrick**: 20 years old, Attina's son

**Jade**: 19 years old, Attina's daughter

**Cricket**: 17 years old, Attina's daughter

* * *

**Alana's children from oldest to youngest**:

**Leomaris**: 18 years old, Alana's son

**Caspian**: 16 years old, Alana's son

**Roxanna**: 14 years old, Alana's daughter

* * *

**Aquata's children from oldest to youngest**:

**Roden**: 15 years old Adella's son

**Octavious**: 13 years old, Adella's son

* * *

**Adella's children form oldest to youngest:**

**Aquarius**: 12 years old, Aquatta's son

**Ambrosia**: 10 years old, Aquatta's daughter

* * *

**Arista's children from oldest to youngest:**

**Greta**: 11 years old, Arista's daughter

**Iris**: 9 years old, Arista's daughter

* * *

**Andrina's children for oldest to youngest:**

**Kelvin**: 8: years old, Andrina's son

**Serene**: 6 years old, Andrina's daughter

* * *

_Let's not forget _

**Adelaide**: Hali's infant aunt. 1 year old.

* * *

Story soon to follow!


	2. Chapter 2: Life in Rosy Hues

Xavier held an elegant looking ring between his pointer finger and thumb, and scrutinized it with a satisfied smile. The stable hand didn't exactly have the kind of money needed to buy a piece of jewelery of such caliber. So, like everything Xavier ever needed in life, he had to work for it. Xavier had spent one toilsome morning diving among the oyster bed. He pried each oyster he found open with his strong fingers. He was surprised at how many baroque, or worthless pearls he discovered inside many of those oysters. Xavier's fingers were just beginning to feel sore, when he spotted the largest oyster he had ever seen. Perhaps, he silently prayed, that there was a pearl worthy enough of Hali, inside this monster of an oyster. Xavier struggled with the mollusk, for it seemed very unwilling to give up its treasure. Finally, Xavier was deemed the victor of this match, and he found inside, a pink pearl. Xavier had never seen a pink pearl before. It was perfect, and Hali was going to love it. That only solved half of Xavier's problem, however. The pearl on its own was useless; he couldn't very well, just hand Hali a pearl. No, Xavier needed to have the pearl set into a ring. Yet again, Xavier had no money, so he had to pull a few strings. He made a trip to the jeweler's shop, located in the heart of town. Having no money to pay for the pearl to be set, savvy Xavier promised the jeweler free horseshoes for his two horses, for an entire year. Xavier hadn't yet told his father about that little detail yet. Marshall was likely to slap Xavier upside the head, while engaging in an hour long rant.

Xavier was pulled away from his thoughts when one of the servants' children, he had given a bronze piece to keep watch, suddenly ran into the stables.

"The princess in coming! The princess is coming!" the little boy squeaked excitedly, before running out of the stables again.

Xavier hurriedly placed the ring in his shirt pocket, just as Hali stepped into the stable.

"Gregory just nearly ran me over; he was in such a hurry," Hali remarked.

"Oh well," Xavier said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I gave him a bronze piece for helping me feed the horses. He was excited to tell his mother."

Hali smiled at her love, and placed her hand on his chest, "That was very generous of you, Xavier."

Hali's hand was resting very close to the ring, a little too close for comfort, so Xavier took her hand in his and kissed it.

"I'm a generous man," Xavier nodded narcissisticly.

Hali rolled her azure eyes, and asked, "How's my baby doing?"

"I'm just fine," Xavier teased.

"Not you silly," shrieked Hali, "my little horse."

Chestnut had just given birth to a foal. Brisk, they were all surprised to find out, was the father.

"Oh right," Xavier pretended to sound hurt, "_your baby_, is nursing form his mother right now."

Hali lovingly ran her hand along Xavier's cheek, but pushed past him to play with the adorable little colt.

"Melody's coming over to help name him today," Hali said as she stroked the colt's soft mane.

"That's nice, Hali."

The princess turned her attention back to Xavier.

"Do you know what today is?" she asked sweetly.

"Umm," Xavier bluffed, "Tuesday! yes, it's Tuesday."

"Xavier!" Hali slapped Xavier's chest with the back of her hand.

Xavier quickly checked his shirt pocket, good, it was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm just kidding," Xavier defended himself, "of course I know what today is!"

"Oh really?" Hali pouted.

"Yes," Xavier rewarded Hali with a warm kiss, "It is exactly one year to the day, that we first met. And.."

"And what?" Hali beamed

"And I have a little surprise for you, _Ophelia_."

Hali laughed, "you think you're funny today!"

"I think he needs to do work today," an older voice called out.

"Hello, Mr. Stoddard," sang Hali.

"Princess," Marshall greeted with a polite nod.

Smiling, Hali said, "I'll see you later, Xavier."

With that, Hali skipped out of the stables, and went to go meet Melody.

"So," Marshall began, "did you ask her yet?"

"No, pop. Not yet."

"Aright," Marshall grinned at his boy, "get back to work, then."

* * *

The carriage finally pulled up in front of the palace, and Lance helped a rather weary looking Melody stepped out to greet her waiting sister. The second time around, Melody's wedding had gone off without a hitch. The ceremony was really quite beautiful, tear jerking, even, and Hali of course was standing right by Melody's side. Now, nearly a year later, Melody was heavily pregnant, and had come to pay her family a visit.

"Melody!" Hali yelled out, running to give her sister a hug.

Melody awkwardly returned the hug, her massive belly got in the way of everything these days, "How have you been Hali?"

"Wonderful," related Hali, "just look at you Melody! You're glowing."

"I feel like a beluga whale," grumbled Melody.

"She looks beautiful. Doesn't she, Lancelot?"

"Yes, very beautiful," he kissed his wife, then glaring at Hali he said, "My name's Lance."

But the girls ignored him, and headed straight for the palace, so Melody could say hello to their parents. It was the typical family Reunion. There was laughter, hugs, kisses, and happy tears. Hali soon grew tired of this, and led her sister to the stables, where Chestnut and her young colt were resting. Xavier was baling hay when the two women entered the stables. Hali noted how Xavier's muscles rippled beneath his work shirt, but quickly checked herself, to make sure she wasn't drooling. Having regained her composure, Hali showed Melody the sleeping foal. They had a horse to name after all.

The horse's body was entirely black, except for his little brown nose. The young colt was curled up next to his mother, who kept at watchful eye on her son.

"How about Black Beauty?" Melody suggested.

"He's a colt Melody!" Hali exclaimed, "besides, that name is tired and boring."

"Sweet Pea, maybe?" offered Melody.

Hali sighed, "He's not a food, either, Mel. I hope you're not this bad at naming your child. Come here baby Sweet Pea!"

"Hey!" laughed Melody.

Xavier chuckled to himself, as the two sisters argued over the colt's name. Melody glanced up at Xavier, her blue eyes searching for news. Xavier simply gave a sheepish smile, and shook his head no. Somehow, Hali did not even notice this exchange.

"I know!" Hali said excitedly, "we'll call him Achilles, because he looks so strong and beautiful."

"Achilles," Melody repeated, "I like it!"

"Then maybe I should name your baby," Hali teased.

"Don't push it, sister!"

* * *

It had been a long day, and Melody had retired early, having drained all the energy out of her pregnant body. Now, Xavier and Hali sat on a blanket spread over the coarse sand, overlooking the ocean. Xavier had placed that blanket strategically, making sure it lay in exactly the same spot where he first saw Hali sitting barefoot in the sand. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was splashed with color. Hali, began singing.

_Out of the orange colored, purple striped,  
Pretty green polka-dot sky  
Flash, bam, alacazam,  
And goodbye._

Xavier hated to do it, but he needed to interrupt her singing, if only for a moment.

"Hali?" Xavier fumbled around in his pocket for the ring.

"Yes, Xavier?" she was still gazing intently at the gentle waves.

Xavier gulped. Suddenly, he was feeling very nervous.

"Xavier?' Hali asked again.

Xavier took in a deep breath and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.

Hali was staring at him, with those hypnotic azure eyes now. Xavier's heart was beating a hundred times a minute, when he presented Hali with the ring. The poor girl immediately covered her mouth in shock.

"Will you marry me?" he managed to utter those words, without stammering, a surprise even to himself.

Hali remained silent, but continued to burn Xavier with her azure eyes. Her loss for words, was beginning to worry Xavier. If Hali were to say no, now, he would simply die. That's when she kissed him. The diabolical girl, wanted to let Xavier sweat in out, first. Xavier didn't care, though. He loved her. Xavier slipped the ring onto Hali's delicate ring finger.

"Xavier," Hali cooed, admiring her engagement ring, "It's beautiful! I've never seen a pink pearl before."

"You're beautiful," Xavier smiled.

"I feel like singing," giggled the newly engaged Hali.

"Then sing," encouraged her fianceé.

_Des yeux qui font baisser les miens,  
Un rire qui se perd sur sa bouche—  
Voilà le portrait sans retouche  
De l'homme auquel j'appartiens._

_Quand il me prend dans ses bras,  
Il me parle tout bas,  
Je vois la vie en rose.  
Il me dit des mots d'amour,  
Des mots de tous les jours,  
Et ça me fait quelque chose.  
Il est entré dans mon cœur,  
Une part de bonheur  
Dont je connais la cause.  
C'est lui pour moi,  
Moi pour lui dans la vie,  
Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie.  
Et dès que je l'aperçois,  
Alors je sens en moi  
Mon cœur qui bat._

_Des nuits d'amour à plus finir,  
Un grand bonheur qui prend sa place,  
Les ennuis, les chagrins s'effacent,  
Heureux, heureux à en mourir. _

When she was finished, Xavier kissed her. Hali threw her arms around his neck, and they rolled to the edge of the shore, the gentle waves washing over their bodies as they kissed.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

So, readers, this is the beginning to the sequel. A very cure opener, right? I hope you all enjoy this story as much as the last one.

Six little ducks that I once knew,

xJadeRainx

P.S. Converse r life's computer crashed and she lost her fanfictions. As a result, she has no access to the Internet, but it is her hope to beginning posting soon. Be patient!

* * *

**Songs**

Hali sings a segment of Orange Colored Sky in this chapter. Orange Colored Sky was written by Milton Delugg and Willie Stein, and appears in a chapter of Ocean Heart entitled, "Chaos at Breakfast".

She also sings the French love song, La Vie En Rose. Written and sung by Edith Piaf. I found an excellent translation on-line, better than I can ever do myself.

LA VIE EN ROSE (English translation) _By Thomas Keyes_

Eyes that gaze into mine,  
A smile that is lost on his lips—  
That is the unretouched portrait  
Of the man to whom I belong.

When he takes me in his arms  
And speaks softly to me,  
I see life in rosy hues.  
He tells me words of love,  
Words of every day,  
And in them I become something.  
He has entered my heart,  
A part of happiness  
Whereof I understand the reason.  
It's he for me and I for him, throughout life,  
He has told me, he has sworn to me, for life.  
And from the things that I sense,  
Now I can feel within me  
My heart that beats.

In endless nights of love,  
A great delight that comes about,  
The pains and bothers are banished,  
Happy, happy to die of love.


	3. Chapter 3: Good News Travles Fast

When Hali awoke the next morning, she immediately checked her left ring finger to make sure that last night's events were not a dream. She was relieved to find, a perfectly round, pink pearl, resting elegantly on her finger. Hali smiled and rubbed the sleep away from her azure eyes. The Guardian was surprised to find, that her spell book was glowing. A radiant, golden light, was bursting out of the binding.

"I've never seen my book glow before," Hali wondered to herself.

Hali tentatively walked over to the nightstand where the book lay undisturbed. She hastily poked it with her pointer finger, only making contact with the book for a fraction of a second, just in case the book was scorching hot. The binding of her spell book flew open at once. Hali was staring at a aged sheet of blank parchment. She knew that it was only a matter of time, before the words appeared on the page.

Праблем у будучыні.

Hali read the script with dread, "Trouble ahead?"

Знайсці зоркі,  
Да Месяца  
Завершыць свой цыкл.

Hali squinted at the Ancient Atlantican words, "Find the Star before the moon completes its cycle."

The guardian sat at the edge of her bed, contemplating the books mysterious message.

"The Star?" Hali whispered, "that must mean the Ocean's Star."

Hali flinched when someone behind the door rapped loudly.

"Princess?" it was Nina.

Hali made her way to the door, and allowed Nina into her bedroom.

"Good morning Nina," greeted Hali.

"Good morning, Princess," Nina returned, "Xavier is downstairs. He says that the two of you are supposed to go into town today?"

"Oh yes," Hali sat back down onto her bed, "I almost forgot about that."

"Princess, are you feeling well," Nina ventured to ask, "you look a little pale."

"Yes, I'm fine, Nina," Hali assured, "tell Xavier I'll be down in about fifteen minutes."

"Of course, Princess," Nina turned to leave the room, but spun around suddenly, "may I see your ring?"

Hali beamed at the memory of Xavier's proposal, and held out her left hand to her friend.

Nina took hold of Hali's hand, and exclaimed, "Oh my, its simply exquisite!"

"Yes, it is," agreed Hali, "and maybe there will be a ring on your finger in the near future?"

"Oh no, Princess."

"Really?" Hali teased, "because I've seen you spending some quality time with Sergei in the garden lately."

Nina blushed and said, "I'll tell Xavier you'll be down shortly."

* * *

Hali and Xavier strolled over the cobblestone streets, holding hands, and winding their way through town. Somehow, Xavier managed to convince his father to let him have the morning off, so he could spend some time with Hali.

"Before the moon completes its cycle, you say?" Xavier mused scratching his chin, "I think that means, you need to find the Star, before the month ends."

Hali stopped short, "That does make sense."

"Of course it does!" Xavier hugged her close to him.

"Sometimes you're too narcissistic, Xavier!" Hali shook a mocking finger at him.

"_No_," Xavier maintained, "not_ me_."

"I'm hungry," Hali pouted changing the subject entirely.

Xavier loved how she pouted so, "Then follow me, my Lady."

Xavier led Hali to a quaint little outdoor café, where they ordered some fresh bread and orange juice. It was turning out to be one delightful morning. Just as they were about to pay the waiter, a small money pouch fell from the sky, and landed on the table in front of them.

"Breakfast for the happy couple, is on me," a familiar voice announced.

Both Hali and Xavier looked up in shock. Standing before them was the smiling figure of Salty Sam.

"Sammy!" Hali called out.

Sam winced, "Sorry, but I have to draw the line at _Sammy_, even for you, Lorelei."

Xavier tried his best to hide his discontent at Sam's unexpected arrival in Shireland.

"Sam," it was a short greeting.

"Xavier," Sam nodded, then he turned his attention to Hali, "So, the word on the street is that Shireland's youngest princess is getting married."

"News travels fast," remarked Xavier.

"So it's true, then?"

"Yes, it's _true_," Xavier replied somewhat venomously.

Hali sighed the boys were at it again.

"So, Sam," Hali attempted to lighten the mood, "what brings you here?"

"Well, we didn't intend to dock here, that's for sure," Sam admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then why _did_ you?" grumbled Xavier.

Sam scowled at the landlubber, "My ship had an unfortunate run in with some pirates, and it's in pretty bad shape right now."

"Pirates!" gasped Hali. "Which one?"

"Hard Hearted Hannah," Sam shivered.

"A woman!" Xavier burst out, "you were attacked by a woman!"

"What's _that _supposed to mean, Xavier?" Hali glared, tapping her fingers angrily against the table.

"Nothing," Xavier answered meekly, "It's just that women are..."

"Forces of nature!" Sam finished Xavier sentence, and Xavier was grateful for this unusual act to chivalry.

"Tell me about this Hard Hearted Hannah," inquired Hali finally turning her steely gaze away form poor Xavier.

"Oh, she is ruthless, and she completely ignores the laws of the high seas!"

"Don't all pirates play by their own rules, Sam?" asked Xavier.

"True," admitted Sam, "but Hard Hearted Hannah is different. She bombarded are ship with cannon balls for no apparent reason."

"How bad can she really be?" Hali questioned.

"Well," Sam began, "rumor has it, that Hannah is so cruel, that she was seen pouring water on a drowning man. And he was a member of her own crew!"

"Wait," Xavier was confused, "this Hannah has a crew of men, who willing submit to her orders?"

"Xavier!" Hali was rather offended by that last remark.

Xavier shrunk down in his seat, "What I meant was..."

Sam laughed to himself, when two beautiful, dark skinned boys, came running up to him.

"Captain! Captain!" the boys cried out in unison.

"Your report, sailors," Sam saluted the boys.

The bigger of the two boys answered, "The mizzen mast is broken, we desperately need a new rudder, and the hull of our ship looks like Swiss cheese."

"And" the smaller boy chimed in rather gloomily, "we lost our mermaid."

Hali couldn't help but smile at the forlorn look etched on the young boys features.

"Alright," sighed Sam, "Pip, go back to the ship, and help the crew look for materials to repair the ship."

"Aye Aye, Captain," Pip saluted, and ran off towards the docks.

"Squeak?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Go find us another mermaid," Sam looked directly into the boys shining brown eyes.

"I won't let you down, Captain," with that the boy scurried away, in search of a new figurehead.

"Captain, huh?" Xavier's voice sounded the slightest bit jealous.

Sam grinned, "Yeah, there might have been a mutiny or two along the way."

Hali rested a loving hand on Xavier's arm, "Who were those adorable boys?" she asked Sam.

"A couple of street rats, we picked up in Mumbai, India. Brothers, too," explained Sam, "I've never seen such good workers."

"So, how long do you think you're going to be here?" Xavier questioned aggressively.

Hali hit Xavier on his right shoulder.

"The condition _my _ship is in right now? I could be in Shireland for a while, a long while."

Sam grinned, and with a wink at Hali disappeared, to go check on how his crew was getting along.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Mumbai is a city located on the Western coast of India. This is were Captain Sam's crew enlisted Pip and Squeak and sailors.

Sam mentioned the name Hard Hearted Hannah, the ruthless female pirate captain. I took her name from a famous Tin Pan Alley song. _Hard Hearted Hannah_ was by Jack Yellen, and the music was composed by Milton Ager. The song was first published in 1924. A section of the song goes:

I saw her at the seashore  
With a great big pan,  
There was Hannah  
Pouring water on  
A drowning man!

You really must listen to Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of this song on youtube. It is simply phenomenal.

Fruit salad, yummy, yummy,

xJadeRainx


	4. Chapter 4: Spoiled Surprise

"Well, that was certainly unexpected," Hali looked at Xavier through raised eyebrows.

"Yes, it was," Xavier agreed, checking his pocket watch, "I guess we should be heading back right about now."

"Do we have to?" pouted Hali, pursing her pink lips, innocently.

"Yes, we have to," Xavier pouted back, before kissing her.

Xavier, ever the gentleman, help Hali out of her seat, and together, they sauntered back to the palace. Xavier's father had only allowed the poor boy the morning off. The needed to be back home within the next twenty minutes, of Marshall was likely to go on one of his never ending tirades, for sure. Over the cobbles they clattered, making googly eyes at each other, when a passerby rushed forward, at such an alarming pace, that Hali was knocked to the ground.

"Ouch!" lamented Hali.

Both Xavier and the passerby helped Hali to stand up again.

"Sergei?" Hali questioned in shock.

"I'm so sorry, Princess," the court messenger apologized profusely, "please don't tell His Majesty that I nearly killed you."

"Don't worry, Sergei," Hali began, brushing the dirt from the hem of her dress, "no harm done, I suppose."

"Where exactly where you just running to, Sergei?" questioned Xavier.

"Oh," the messenger scratched his head of thick black hair, "I'm on an official palace errand...um.. yes, an errand."

"What kind of errand?" asked Hali.

"Bye!" Sergei yelled out, quickly, and left the pair in a cloud of dust.

"Huh," grunted Xavier.

"That was odd," Hali added.

"Very odd," agreed Xavier.

* * *

Upon returning to the palace, Xavier was immediately beckoned to the stables, by his father. Hali noticed that Marshall did not look to pleased with Xavier. The unusual encounter with Sergei, did indeed cause them to be a few minutes late, and evidently, this struck a nerve with the head horse keeper. Marshall was a firm believer of hard, honest work, and punctuality. Anything less, was simply unacceptable.

Xavier looked over to Hali, standing off in the distance, with pleading eyes. Hali merely offered him a smile, and shrugged her pretty shoulders. Blowing him a kiss, Hali made her way to the palace. The princess had a few questions for Nina.

* * *

The royal family had just finished their afternoon tea, but Hali stayed at the table while Nina was cleaning up. Nina picked up the empty plates, saucers, and used tea cups. Hali noted that Nina was especially cautious with the infamous blue and white porcelain teapot. Hali simply sat at the table, staring suspiciously at the poor girl, until Nina broke the silence and spoke.

"Why are you staring at me like that, Princess?"

"I ran into Sergei, in town today, Nina," informed Hali.

Nina froze, "So?"

"_So_?" Hali imitated, "isn't he you're boyfriend?"

"No," Nina paused, "not exactly."

"Oh? Then what is he?"

Nina placed the tray of dirty dishes back on top of the table, and sat in a chair next to Hali.

"We haven't told anyone, yet," admitted Nina.

"My lips are sealed."

"Good," Nina said decidedly, moving to get up.

"Not so fast, Nina!"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Sergei mentioned something about a palace errand. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" Hali questioned sweetly.

Nina knew that Hali would be able to tell if she was lying, so she simply told the truth.

"Sergei was delivering last minute invitations," Nina confided.

"Invitations for what?" asked the princess.

"The queen and Princess Melody are planning a ball."

"A ball?" echoed Hali, "why so secretive about a ball?"

Nina leaned over and whispered in Hali's ear, "It's an engagement party."

"What! You're Kidding! Please tell me you're kidding?"

Nina solemnly shook her head no.

"When?" Hali probed for further information.

"Tomorrow night."

"We just got engaged yesterday!" Hali's voice was in a tone of disbelief, "why are they in such a hurry?"

"It was Princess Melody's idea," informed Nina, "this pregnancy has driven her mad."

"Hormones?" offered Hali.

"Hormones," Nina agreed.

Hali wiped a hand down the side of her face, "Thank you Nina, but really, I need to warn Xavier, now."

* * *

Hali darted off towards, the stables, her blue dress trailing behind her as she ran. Hali wanted to give Xavier the heads up he deserved. She found the man, filling the horses troughs with hay.

Hali rested in the doorway, "Where's you father?"

Xavier smiled, he knew the voice's owner all to well.

Turning to face his princess, Xavier said, "Pop stepped out for a minute."

"Oh."

"What brings you here, love?" Xavier walked over to Hali, and took her in his arms.

"I need to warn you about something," Hali looked up to meet his sea green eyes.

"Warn me?" the stable hand furrowed his brows, "about what?"

"There's going to be a ball tomorrow night."

Xavier groaned, "Do I really have to go?'

"Yes, because I have to go?"

"We normally just skip these kind of things, Hali." Xavier sounded generally unhappy.

"Well, this time, it might be rather impossible," Hali wrinkled her nose.

"Why?"

"Because it's being held in out honor," explained the princess to the stable boy.

"What!" panicked Xavier.

"It's an engagement party, you see."

Poor Xavier sat down on a large hay stack, folding his arms across his chest, his head hanging down.

"What's wrong, Xavier?" Hali almost sounded motherly.

"I don't know how to dance," Xavier admitted weakly.

Hali ran her gentle fingers across Xavier's cheek, which was already starting to grow some stubble.

"Is that all?" she asked kindly, "come on. Get up, and I'll show you."

Xavier stood reluctantly, as Hali showed him the proper position for waltzing.

"I feel silly," grumbled the stable hand.

"Oh stop it, Xavier," Hali chastised gently, "It's easy. Just count like this... one, two, three, and. Now, you try."

"One, two, three, and," repeated Xavier.

"That's right," encouraged Hali."

"Une, deux, trois, et." Xavier continued.

The pair had been practicing their dancing for quite some time now. Hali didn't dare tell Xavier, that she was actually the one doing the leading, for she didn't want to discourage him now. Besides, he seemed to be having fun.

Suddenly, the dancers were interrupted by a hardy voice.

"Did you finish feeding the horses, Xavier?" Marshall asked.

"Yes, Pop," blushed Xavier.

Marshall grinned at his only son, "Alright the, run along. No sense keeping a lady pent up in a place that smell of dirt and horses."

Xavier returned his father's wide smile, grabbing Hali gently by the arm, and dragging her out of the stables towards the sandy beach.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Towards the beginning, I wrote, "over the cobbles they clattered." This is a line taken from a poem entitled, The Highway Man, written by Alfred Noyes (1880-1958).

Although this is probably unnecessary, I will translate the French numbers anyway, just in case. Xavier says, "une, deux, trois, et," which means, "one, two, three, and," in English. But I'm sure all you smarties already knew that!

Millions of peaches, peaches for me,

xJadeRainx


	5. Chapter 5: Shall We Dance?

Sam sighed as he leaned against a wooden post at the docks, watching as his crew hastily tried to mend the broken ship. The captain swore that if he ever again ran into Hard Hearted Hannah, and her crew, that they would pay for their misdeeds. Just look! His beloved _Oak Leviathan_, lay in shambles. It would take a solid month of repairs before the ship was sea worthy again. Hannah must have known, that there were only a few poor sailors aboard the _Leviathan_, yet she attacked the ship anyway. For what? Treasure? Sam snorted at himself in disgust.

Captain Sam didn't take notice as a slim figured man appeared at his side.

"Hey Salty! There's going to be some big soiree at the palace tonight," his old friend Piper informed, "Are you going to make an appearance?"

"No," Sam answered automatically, with to trace of emotion in his voice whatsoever.

"Why not?" Piper inquired.

"Because I haven't got an invitation," Sam again answered flatly.

"So," laughed Piper, "something like that never stopped Salty Sam before!"

"I'm not going, Piper," Sam cried aggressively through clenched teeth.

"Sam," Piper's tone was that of empathy.

Only Sam didn't care to hear the end of Piper's sentence, and he stormed off angrily in the opposite direction.

* * *

Hali sat on a chair facing her vanity, as both, her mother and sister fussed over her. Who ever said that women were the gentler sex, was dead wrong. Ariel and Melody were poking and prodding at the poor girl, in an effort to make her presentable to the whole court. Somewhere, in the back of her brain, Ariel believed that she would never live to see this day.

Hali nearly jumped out of her skin when Melody gave out an ear-splitting squeal. Hali shot out of her chair and ran to Melody's side, dressed in nothing but her cotton bloomers and camisole.

"Mel, what's wrong!" she shouted, "are you going into labor?"

"No, silly," Melody breathed, "I just found the perfect dress for you!"

If if weren't for the sake of the baby, Hali would have strangled her sister on the spot. She took in a deep, calming breath, and when she finally felt at peace, Hali looked at the dress Melody was holding in her hands. Simply put, the dress was ravishing. The floor length gown was a little on the poofy side, but Hali didn't mind that one bit. It was the color that so attracted Hali to the gown. The dress was dyed an elegant aqua, Hali's favorite color. Hali smiled, the shade almost matched Xavier's eyes.

"I love this dress," Hali sighed.

"Yea!" clapped Melody.

So, Hali slipped into the beautiful gown. It was an off the shoulder style, with silver appliques covering the bodice, and trialing down the the top layer of the dress. She really felt like a princess in that dress. The only thing left to do was fix Hali's hair.

"I just don't understand why were hair is so straight, and flat," Ariel frowned, "we all have such unruly hair in this family."

"Leave my hair down, mother," Hali was beginning to grumble.

"But it would look so elegant, put up in a bun, darling!" Ariel tried to persuade Hali over to her point of view.

"Xavier likes my hair down," pouted Hali.

"Oh, alright," Ariel submitted.

There was a light rap on the wooden door.

"I hate to interrupt this touching moment," Eric's head peeked in for a moment, "but the ball is about to begin..."

"Go away!" all three women shouted at him with ferocity.

Eric shut the door quickly, seeing as Hali had just hurled a shoe at him.

Finally, the escapade was over, and Hali stood proudly before her mother and sister, a vision in aqua. Tender-hearted Ariel, was misty eyed, as she placed a sparkling tiara, in Hali's fiery hair.

There was yet another knock at the door.

"Are you ready, now?" Eric bravely ventured to ask again.

"Yes, we're ready," the women answered in chorus.

* * *

Hali was hit by a feeling of deja vous, when the court herald began croaking the formal announcements. Previously, Hali was relieved that the engagement party was not being held in her honor, and here she stood, only a year later, on the arm of her fianceé. What were the odds of that?

"Our beloved King Eric and his beautiful Queen, Ariel," the herald announced officially.

Eric and Ariel advanced across the ballroom, waving and smiling at their guests.

"Really, Hali," Xavier beamed, "you look stunning."

"And our former Princess Melody, with her husband, Crowned Prince Lance of Westland."

Lance assisted his wife, as a very pregnant Melody waddled the length of the room, joining the king and queen. Hali has been extremely surprised, upon learning Melody felt up to attending the event.

"And you look rather dashing yourself, Xavier," Hali smiled.

"I'm not accustomed to wearing this type of clothing," Xavier whispered in Hali's right ear.

"Last, but not least," the herald called, "our lovely princess Hali, heir to the throne of Shireland, and her fianceé, Xavier Stoddard."

Xavier and Hali made their way to the middle of the ballroom.

There was an audible collection of gasps coming form the crowd.

"Who is he?" a few of the voices whispered.

"Isn't he the king's stable worker?"

Xavier looked down at his feet in shame.

"Hush," Hali cooed gently, resting her forehead against his, "don't listen to those pretentious fools."

The orchestra began playing a sprightly tune, and the couple proceeded to dance. A light ruffle of laughter, erupted through the court.

"Is the princess leading?"

"Remember?" Hali asked.

"One, two, three, and," recited Xavier.

Hali sang along to the music, while Xacier held her tightly in his strong arms.

_Shall we dance?_

"One, two, three, and."

_On a bright cloud of music shall we fly?_

"One, two, three, and."

_Shall we then say "Goodnight and mean "Goodbye"?_

"One, two, three, and."

_Or perchance,  
When the last little star has left the sky  
Shall we still be together  
With our arms around each other?_

"One, two, three, and."

_Shall we dance?  
Shall we dance?  
Shall we dance?_

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Poor, heart broken Sam! Can you actually believe that he passed up an opportunity to make trouble? Humm...interesting!

Sam's ship is named the Oak Leviathan, a name I took from a line in, Child Harold's Pilgrimage, by Lord Byron. Published between 1812 and 1818.

Here is the segment in question:

The armaments which thunderstrike the walls  
Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,  
And monarchs tremble in their capitals,  
The **oak leviathans**, whose huge ribs make  
Their clay creator the vain title take  
Of lord of thee, and arbiter of war;  
These are thy toys, and, as the snowy flake,  
They melt into thy yeast of waves, which mar  
Alike the armada's pride, or spoils of Trafalgar.

Hali sings, _Shall We Dance_, which is a song appearing in the musical _The King and I_ (1951, Broadway), (1956 Film).

Peaches come from a can. They were put there by a man,

xJadeRainx

P.S. There is a link on my profile of what Hali's dress looks like. Be sure to check it out!


	6. Chapter 6: Brawl at the Ball

Hali's song seemed to silence the rest of the court, and she and Xavier finished the rest of their dance in peace. Xavier even learned how to lead well before the music ended.

When the orchestra finished playing it's tune, Hali was swept away by her father, and Xavier was left alone to mingle with the guests. Poor Xavier was completely out of his element. However, he resolved to tough it out. If he and Hali were to be married, then Xavier was going to have to get used to these kind of gatherings.

Meanwhile, Eric pulled Hali into a dance of his own.

"Hali, you look beautiful this evening," Eric said proudly, as he twirled her around.

"Dad," Hali said a little embarrassed, "there isn't even any music playing right now."

"We can make our own music, dear!"

With that, Eric started gurgling one horribly, unrecognizable tune. Hali winced at her father's ghastly singing voice, and silently thanked the heavens for having blessed her with Ariel's talent.

'Why me?" Hali thought to herself, 'he didn't do this to Melody.'

Hali tried to span the ballroom with her eyes, between whirling around with her father. He was still humming that atrocious tune. Where the musicians too frightened to begin another song? At least Eric could dance well. Hali saw Melody smiling, but not the happy kind of smile. Melody was laughing at her embarrassment, Hali knew. The princess continued to scan the room. She grinned when she spotted Xavier, but the smile quickly vanished from her pretty face. Xavier was speaking to Adrian! What could they be talking about? Hali desperately wanted to find out, she tried to direct her father's dancing towards the conversation, but Eric refused to let her take the lead.

* * *

"Congratulations," began Adrian.

"Thank you," Xavier returned earnestly.

Adrian extended his hand to Xavier who shook it warmly.

"I'm Prince Adrian of Westland."

"And I'm Xavier Stoddard," laughed the stable boy.

"Xavier Stoddard of?" Adrian probed.

"Of...Southern... France..." Xavier was unsure who to answer Adrian's question.

"Stoddard doesn't sound like a French name," Adrian remarked.

"Well, that's because my mother was French, and my father was born and raised here in Shireland."

"Really?" Adrian stroked his beardless chin, "I've never heard of the Stoddard family before."

"Why would you have?" this conversation was beginning to make Xavier feel uncomfortable.

"Never mind," Adrian said dismissively, "I take it you're not a noble."

"No, I'm not."

Adrian took a step backwards, as if Xavier were diseased.

"So I was beginning to think, the world's hasn't seen the likes of a man who could tame Hali!"

"I didn't_ tame_, Hali," Xavier replied confused.

Adrian laughed obnoxiously, "Do you mean to say, that the princess tamed you?"

"No one tamed anyone!" glared Xavier, who are you to Hali, anyway?"

"_I_ was one of her suitor's before you, came _trotting_ along."

"_Trotting_?" Xavier raised his voice.

A rather large crowd was beginning to form a circle around the two men. Only, both Xavier and Adrian appeared to be too heated to notice.

"It was a joke," Adrian explained it as if Xavier were an idiot, "you know,_ trotting_."

"All I know," Xavier's instinctively balled his hands up into a fist, "is that Hali wouldn't be caught dead, dating a pretentious bastard, like you!"

"Oh?" Adrian puffed out his chest, in an effort to appear manly, "I suppose that a _horse keeper_ is a much better choice?"

Xavier never even realized that his fist went flying straight at Adrian's handsome face. He only noticed when a loud, sickening crunch echoed throughout the silent ballroom. It was too late for Xavier to stop himself now. There was a spray of Adrian's blood across Xavier's fingers, and droplets splattered onto the tiled ballroom floor. The cowardly Adrian, lie in a pool of his own blood, crying for his mother.

The entire court remained silent, for a moment, but soon enough, pandemonium spread through the ballroom like a plague. That's when all the noble young men, pounced on Xavier, wanting to avenge the uncalled for attack to dear, sweet, mild, Adrian. All the young noble men, except Lance, that is. Lance wisely ushered his very pregnant wife to safety. The prince may not have heard what his idiot brother said to Xavier, but lance was sure that Adrian probably deserved it.

Xavier tried is best at fighting off the men, but the nobles outnumbered him, and soon pinned him to the ground, and attacked him as a group. Nearly half the ballroom was covered in the blood of men. Eric had to call for his guards to disband the fray. Once Xavier was back on his feet, he was ready to brawl again, but Warren firmly held him back.

By this time, King Leroy had become horribly outraged.

"I demand, that commoner apologize to my son, this instant!"

"I will never apologize to that bastard!" Xavier roared, "Never!"

"I knew I never should have allowed my eldest son to marry into this family, Eric!" King Leroy spat, "A bunch of misfits, this lot!"

* * *

Needless to say, that once the guards, broke up the fight, the rest of the ball was canceled. Xavier sat broodingly in the sand, his clothes still stained with Adrian's blood. That's how Hali found him, sitting in the dark night, covered in sand and crusted, dried blood. Hali gingerly sat down in the cool sand beside him, and took his large hand calloused from a lifetime of hard work.

"Xavier?" Hali whispered gently.


	7. Chapter 7: Reservations

The stable hand did not answer the princess at first. Xavier's eyes were fixed straight ahead, focusing on nothing in particular. He was scooping up hand fulls of sand, and letting the grains slip through his fingers like a sieve.

"I'm sorry, Hali," Xavier finally responded.

"For what?"

"I turned the entire night into a fiasco," Xavier replied gloomily.

"I wouldn't call it a fiasco..."

Hali stopped speaking when Xavier shot her a look of disbelief.

"It was a _disaster_," he sighed, "It's just that he was saying such terrible things about you... _and_ me."

"Once, when I was ten, I whacked the princess of Galuerhaven over the head with her own croquet mallet. She said that Melody looked like a giraffe with buck teeth," Hali confessed, gripping Xavier's hand tighter, "Sometimes you just have to protect the people you love, Xavier."

Xavier shook his head, "That's different, Hali. You were only a child."

"True," agreed Hali, "but that didn't make it any less _offensive_. 'A complete disgrace to the entirety of Shireland,' my father called it."

Xavier stood up abruptly, brushing the sand from his pants, then he put his hands on the back of his head, and stretched. Hali waited for Xavier to offer her his hand, and help her up, like he always did. He didn't, this time.

"I never imagined, any of this growing up, Hali," Xavier sighed with his back towards her.

"How _could_ you have, Xavier?" asked Hali, standing up on her own.

He finally turned to face her, "Sure, I entertained the thought of getting married...having kids...owning my own house someday. But that's the biggest I've ever dreamed."

"Xavier," Hali placed a gentle hand along his cheek, and tried to kiss him, but Xavier turned his head.

Hali tried not to display her hurt, but her azure eyes betrayed her. Why was Xavier being so distant?

"I don't think I can do this," he whispered, still refusing to make eye contact.

"_Do what_?" tears could be heard forming in Hali's voice.

"I'll never fit in with you world, your... _life_," lamented Xavier.

"You're just tired, Xavier. You've had a long day. Tomorrow, everything will seem better."

Xavier grabbed Hali roughly by both her wrists, "Don't you get it?" It's never going to work out between us! I take care of horses. That's all I'm good for."

"You're hurting me," Hali cried.

Xavier's released his harsh grip, and glanced away form her again, "I'm sorry."

"Xavier," Hali began, taking in a deep breath.

"Hali!" Xavier yelled, "I can't do this."

Poor Hali suddenly burst into tears, and hastily pulled_ his _ring off her finger. Tossing, the terrible thing into the sand, she fled the scene, running towards the castle.

As soon as Hali was out of eye shot, Xavier's knees gave out, and he tumbled into the sand. The night was exceedingly dark; Xavier couldn't even see where Hali had dropped the ring. He desperately combed the sand with his fingers, and by some miracle, he found it.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

This is the shortest chapter for Ocean Star so far. I could have made it longer, but I just didn't feel like writing anything after this. I feel so sad. Don't you?

Do you remember when in the movie, Eric told Grimbsy, "You're not still sore becasue I didn't fall for the princess of Galuerhaven, are you?" Well, apparently, Hali whacked her daughter over the head with a croquet mallet! Awesome!

I bring you, and sing you a moonlight serenade,

xJadeRainx

PS. Did any of you check out Hali's dress on my profile? I'd like to know.


	8. Chapter 8: Xavier's Serenade

"Why don't you come down for tea, with us, my darling?" Ariel asked, stroking Hali's fiery hair.

"No," Hali answered with her face buried in her pillow, "I'm not hungry, right now."

"Then just have a little tea," pleaded the queen.

"No thank you."

"All right," sighed Ariel, "I'll have Nina bring you up a tray, in case you get hungry later."

Taking one last look at her heartbroken daughter, Ariel softly closed the door behind her.

Ariel slowly descended the spiral staircase, and joined her family for afternoon tea, in the dining room. Eric was sitting at the head of the table, and Melody was sitting across from her husband. However, no one spoke a word to each other.

"She says she's not hungry," Ariel conveyed to the group.

"She didn't eat anything this morning either, Ariel," sighed Eric.

"Well, maybe she'll come down for lunch?" Ariel hoped.

Lance shook his head in dismay, "I have half a mind to go over there, and teach that guy a lesson?"

"You'll only make things worse, Lance," warned Melody, "besides, since when to you care so much about Hali's personal life?"

"She's like the little sister, I never had," Lance frowned, "I hate seeing her this way."

"Hmmm," Eric mused scratching his chin, "maybe I could decrease his pay?"

Lance added, "Or..."

Only, Melody quickly interrupted the conspirators before they could hatch their ridiculous plans any further.

"No, Dad, you can't," reprimanded Melody.

"So we're just supposed to sit here and do nothing, while Hali sits alone in her room crying over _him_?" Eric challenged.

"I'll go talk to _Xavier_, after lunch, Dad," Melody volunteered.

* * *

"Xavier!' Marshall yelled for his son.

"Yes, Pop?"

"Didn't I tell you to pile the haystacks on the left side of the barn?"

"No, Pop. You told me to stack them to the right," Xavier replied.

"No I didn't," his father spat, "no go on and do it the correct way."

Xavier wiped the sweat from his brows, "what does it matter which side their on, Pop?"

"It matters because you should have done it the right way the first time."

"Fine," sighed Xavier.

"And I could do without the attitude, boy," Marshall warned.

Xavier shook the hair out of his eyes. His father had been working him like, well, a horse all day long. Xavier suspected his father was treating him like this, because of what he had said to Hali last night, as if Xavier didn't feel bad enough about that already. Seeing Hali's eyes filled with unadulterated sadness, wrenched at his heart strings, for God's sake. Xavier forced thoughts of Hali out of his head, as he completed the menial task, Marshall had demanded of him.

When Melody arrived at the stables, Xavier was gloomily brushing Brisk's gray coat. Melody silently leaned against the door frame, as she watched Xavier work. She had never seen the poor man look so downhearted.

"They really did a number on you're face at the ball, Xavier, didn't they?" Melody finally asked.

Xavier turned to face Melody in surprise.

"That's nothing," he replied, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt, to reveal a horseshoe shaped bruise on his chest, "apparently, Brisk found out what I did to his human, so he kicked me."

"Ouch!" Melody scrunched up her nose.

"Are you here to chew me out?" he asked turning back to the daemon horse.

"No," Melody said decidedly, while holding up an apple, "I came to give Chestnut a treat. She's probably mad at me because I never ride her any more."

Melody waddled over to her horse, and presented Chestnut with the apple, who accepted it happily.

"Good, girl," cooed Melody as she stroked Chestnut's mane.

Melody covertly glanced over her shoulder, Xavier was now fitting new horseshoes onto Brisk's hooves.

"It was never my intention to hurt her, you know?" Xavier called to Melody, though he was still concentrated on his work.

"I know that, Xavier, but..."

"I don't know what you want me to say," the stable boy interrupted.

Melody sighed, "If you would just go to her, I'm sure she'd forget all about last night."

"I can't do that, Melody," Xavier replied sadly.

"Is that why you're wearing the ring you gave Hali on a chain around your neck?"

"Xavier swallowed, "Is there anything else I can do for you, Princess?"

"No, I guess not," answered Melody, "have a nice day, Xavier."

Melody passed by Marshall on her way out of the stables. They didn't speak a word to each other, but Marshall nodded politely to the princess. That was the end of the encounter. Marshall decided to let Xavier suffer just a little while longer. The idiot boy deserved it! Marshall had been particularly fond of Hali, after all.

"Xavier," Marshall began harshly, "did you finish fitting those horseshoes?"

"Yes, Pop," sighed Xavier.

"Did you use the horse shoes that were stored in the shed?"

"No, I used the spares, right here in the stables."

"I told you to use the horseshoes from the shed," Marshall replied gruffly.

"Pop!" cried Xavier, "they're exactly the same!"

"You're going to have to take those horseshoes out and put the correct ones back in, Xavier."

"But, Pop..."

Marshall cried up to the heavens, dramatically, "Do you see how lazy our boy is, Ami?"

"All right," Xavier sighed, throwing down his tools, I'm going, I'm going!"

* * *

That night, Xavier tossed and turned in his bed. Despite all the hard work, his father dumped on him all day, Xavier couldn't get to sleep. Every time the stable boy closed his eyes, he saw Hali's face. Xavier covered his head with a pillow, but that didn't help at all. The girl was under his pillow, too! Xavier sat up in bed, shook out his sandy locks, threw a shirt over his bare back, and ran out of the log cabin that he shared with his father.

It wasn't long before he found himself outside Hali's balcony. Now he just needed to get her attention. Xavier didn't want to throw rocks, and scare her, so he sang. Xavier poured his heart out in that song.

_The day is ending  
And the same old pain begins.  
Each deeper shade of blue,  
Brings back more of you to miss.  
I fight the tears again,  
But I just can't win and  
Here comes the night,  
And here I go out of my mind again.  
Here comes the night,  
And here I go crazy missin' you,  
Wanting you,  
Needing you,  
I just can't stand it.  
Here comes the night again._

Suddenly, Hali's balcony doors swung open. The princess stood gazing down at Xavier, but she didn't say a single word.

_These nights I'm losing sleep  
To a lonely memory.  
Here comes the night,  
And here I go out of my mind again.  
Here comes the night,  
And here I go crazy missin' you,  
Wanting you,  
Needing you,  
I just can't stand it.  
Here comes the night again._

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Oh, look! Xavier serenaded Hali. Isn't that sweet? That warms my little heart.

At words poetic, I'm so pathetic,

xJadeRainx

* * *

**Song**

The song Xavier so sweetly sang to Hali is called, _Here Comes the Night_, by Barry Manilow.


	9. Chapter 9: Just Like a Torn Sail

Hali remained silent for some time, staring down at Xavier from her balcony. The fool stood there barefoot, with his shirt totally unbuttoned, and was panting heavily, as if he had just run the entire way. He was waiting with a sort of expectant look on his face. Hali shook her head in disbelief. One very unprincess like attribute of Hali's, was her ability to hold a grudge. Did Xavier really think he could just come over, sing a song, and everything would automatically go back to the way it was before? No it couldn't. They didn't live in a fairy tale, for crying out loud. So, Hali answered him back with a song of her own.

_Now you say you're lonely.  
You cry the whole night through.  
Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river.  
I cried a river over you._

_Now you say you're sorry,  
For bein' so untrue.  
Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river.  
I cried a river over you._

_You drove me, nearly drove me out of my head,  
While you never shed a tear.  
Remember, I remember all that you said.  
Told me love was too plebeian.  
Told me you were through with me and,  
Now you say you love me.  
Well, just to prove you do,  
Come on and cry me a river, cry me a river.  
I cried a river over you._

Hali abruptly closed the double french doors, and stood there with her head pressed against the wood for a moment. Then turning away form the door, she reached for an old lacquer box shaped like a treasure chest. Reaching inside, she puled out a small, brown spiral shell, about the same length as her pinky finger. Hali examined the shell in the palm of her hand. Although small, the most impressive thing about the shell, was that it was found buried within the sands of the largest beach in the world. The princess carefully placed the shell back in the box.

She quickly slipped into an attractive dress, and grabbed her cloak. It was a windy night, she would surely freeze witout it. Hali needed to find him.

* * *

Hali found Sam, leaning nonchalantly against a wooded pole at the docks. He was staring at the full moon with his hands in his pockets. Hali smiled at the familiar scene. She noticed that Sam's lips were moving, straining her ears, Hali could make out every last word of his song.

_And when October goes,  
The snow begins to fly,  
Above the smokey roofs  
I watch the birds go by. _

_The children running home  
Beneath a twilight sky.  
Oh, for the fun of them,  
When I was one of them._

_And when October goes,  
The same old dream appears.  
And you are in my arms,  
To share the happy years._

_I turn my head away  
To hide the helpless tears.  
Oh how I hate to see October go._

_I should be over it now I know.  
It doesn't matter much,  
How old I grow.  
I hate to see October go._

"The full moon always gives me goosebumps, these days." Hali called out to Sam, who had his back towards her.

Sam glanced over his shoulder for a moment, but quickly returned his gaze to the moon.

Hali tried another approach, "Why were you singing a song about October, when it's only midsummer?"

"We met during the month of October, Lorelei."

"I remember," replied Hali.

"Do you?"

Hali opened her mouth to say something, but Piper suddenly appeared out of nowhere and intervened.

"Hey Salty," the sailor began, "Spider needs you to check on the rigging."

"You're the first mate, Piper," sighed Sam, his gaze never leaving the white moon, "you are more than qualified to check the rigging yourself."

Piper left with a shrug.

"So who's Spider?" Hali began timidly, for she had never seen Sam in this kind of state before, "I don't think I've ever met him."

"Sure you have," Sam answered, finally looking Hali in the eyes, "formerly known as Squirt."

"Oh, he got a new nick name," Hali squealed, clasping her hands together.

"Yep," Sam answered, "we had him mending the side of the _Leviathan_ once, and a huge wave came rushing at him. Would you believe he held onto the side of the boat, just like a spider? So, what brings you to the docks?"

"You, silly," Hali said hugging Sam.

The warmth of Hali's body felt so good, that Sam didn't want to let her go, but he did anyway.

"Ha-Hali," the name was foreign to him, "I can't do this."

There were those horrible words again. What did Hali have to do, to get away from those words?

Before either of them had a chance to speak another word, a gruff voice called out, "Hey Salty!"

Sam turned to face the drunken sailor, "Mullet, remember the talk we had about calling me, Captain?"

"Yalet Piper callya, Salty, Salty," slurred Mullet.

"Is your name Piper?" Sam spat.

Rather than answer the question, Mullet asked one of his own, "Why are you keeping all the female flesh to yourself. Pass her around!"

"Is that empty?" Sam asked, referring to the bottle of Rum in Mullet's hand.

The drunken sailor turned it upside down, and not even a single drop fell form the bottle's mouth. Sam effortless wrenched the glass bottle out of Mullet's hand, and shattered it against the sailor's head. Mullet collapsed to the ground, in an unconscious heap. Hali had covered her mouth with her slender hand, to keep from screaming.

"He has a think skull," Sam assured her, "he'll live, unfortunately."

"I'm not so sure," Hali breathed, when she finally uncovered her mouth.

"Come, let's go for a walk," the captain motioned for her to follow, "I'm sick of looking at his ugly face."

The pair walked around the harbor that was lit by dozens of little lightning bugs, that were zipping around the sky.

"What brings you here, really, Hali?" Sam asked again.

"You've never called me by that name before," complained Hali.

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"I thought I'd always be your Lorelei?" Hali pouted.

"But you're not my Lorelei, Hali," Sam added for emphasis.

"I could be."

Hali attempted to kiss Sam, but he backed away.

"Hali, what are you doing?" he questioned.

"I'm not with Xavier anymore, Hali announced, wrapping her arms around Sam's neck, "that means, I'm available."

It took every last ounce of the captain's self control, to not take her up on the offer.

"Hali, a lover's spat is like a torn sail. It can be easily mended," Sam began, "I can't allow you to do something you're going to regret in the morning."

"Samuel,"

Salty Sam grabbed Hali by the shoulders, and shook her gently.

"Hali, you made your choice a long time ago," Sam reminded her, "and you know what? It was the right choice, too! What do I have to offer you? A dirty old ship, and a bunch of drunken excuses for sailors? I'll walk you home, Hali."

"Don't bother," Hali whispered, as she ran off, into the shroud of darkness.

"Hali!" Sam called after her, but the girl was gone.

* * *

Hali had stopped running, and was now walking to nowhere in particular, when a stranger came and grabbed her from behind. One rough hand was at her throat, and the other covered her mouth.

"Come with me, lass," the stranger growled, "an' don' even think about screamin'"

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Uh-Oh Hali, you're in trouble now. How was that terrible stranger?

If you'd like to know, Cox Bazzar is the longest beach in the world. It is located in Bangladesh. My friend once went there once, and gave me a seashell she found on the beach. It looks just like the one Hali has in the story.

* * *

**Songs**

The first song appearing in thsi chapter is called _Cry Me a River_, an old jazz song by Julie London.

The second song, is called, _When October Goes_, written by Jhonny Mercer.


	10. Chapter 10: The Good Ship Misery

The gag was making Hali gag. It tasted of dirt and sweat. Never in all her life, had she been so mistreated. Hali's hands were bound so tightly behind her back, that she was beginning to lose the feeling in her fingers and wrists. Pirates, were terribly unfriendly, and their hygiene wasn't any better. She heard a pair of voices, overhead.

"She's tied up in your cabin, Captain," the voice, Hali recognized as her captor informed.

Hali noticed that the sound of footsteps grew louder, and finally, the cabin door creaked open.

"Thar she is, Captain Hannah," the pirate announced proudly, "the princess."

"A very nice, ransom indeed," smiled Hard Hearted Hannah as she forcefully ripped the gag form Hali's mouth.

"Where am I!" Hali shouted Immediately.

"Why, aboard the good ship, _Misery_, Princess," grinned the captain.

"I'm not the princess," Hali lied.

Suddenly, Hannah grabbed Hali roughly by the hair and threw her to the ground. Hali landed with a painful thud, onto her stomach. Hard Hearted Hannah inspected the young girl's hands with a critical eye for detail.

"Liar," The pirate captain finally spat, turning Hali onto her back, "your hands are too soft, and smooth. Not a scratch on them. You never worked a day in your life!"

Hali lay flat on her back, on the wooden planks of the filthy, _Misery_, but still, she looked Hannah directly into her cold blue eyes, cold as ice.

Finally, Hali spoke, "I'm lady in waiting to the princess. It's not the most demanding of jobs, you see."

Hannah looked quizzically at the young girl, lonely, and helpless before her. The girl couldn't be lying; her eyes hadn't betrayed a single word of what she had just said.

"Come here, witless," the captain commanded, "what made you think this girl was the princess?"

"Arrr," the pirate grunted, "the citizens of Shireland say that the princess has fiery hair."

Outraged, Hard Hearted Hannah removed her cutlass from its scabbard, and swung it unmercifully at the pirates face, leaving a deep gash beneath his right eye. The pirate let out a loud scream of pain, as the blood trickled down the side of his cheek.

"Fool!" Hannah screeched, "Do you think that the princess is the only red haired maiden in the kingdom!"

The_ Misery's_ captain, brutally lifted Hali up by her throat, and slammed her into a chair. Hali let out an audible moan, as her back hit against the hard, uncomfortable chair.

"Maybe we can still get some monetary value out of her," Hannah spat.

Hali snorted bravely, "Like that spoiled princess or her greedy family cares about me. Servants are expendable to the rich."

Captain Hannah stormed out of the cabin, pulling the idiot pirate along by his golden hoop earring. Hannah knew there was truth in the girl's words.

* * *

It took all of Sam's might to knock on the door of the rustic long cabin. Seemingly, every last muscle in his body, tried to resist, but somehow, Sam's conscience overpowered his body, and he rapped against the door. Sam waited for a moment, with his hands in his pockets, when Marshall finally answered the door.

"Can I help you?" asked the horse keeper.

"I'm a fr...," Sam paused, "an acquaintance of Xavier's, sir. Is he in, right now?"

"Oh yes, yes. Come in, my boy," Marshall offered kindly, "it's dreadfully cold tonight."

"No," Sam answered, "this will only take a moment. I'll be happy to wait outside."

Sam stood waiting, for another few minutes, when Xavier finally appeared at the door.

"What do you want?" Xavier asked gruffly, closing the door behind him.

"Hali," Sam began, but Xavier hurriedly cut him off.

"You want Hali?" barked Xavier, "she's yours. She doesn't want me anymore. She made that pretty clear to me tonight."

"Listen to me, landlubber," growled Sam," Hali's out gallivanting around town, at this time of night. That's dangerous, and you know it!"

"I can't change that," Xavier whispered, "what do you want me to do?"

"Go look for her," Sam sighed in a tone utter disbelief, "bring her back home."

"You go look for her, Sam."

Xavier glared at Sam. He hated that sailor.

"I can't, idiot," cried Sam. "Hali doesn't belong to me. You still love her, and she still loves you. So, Xavier, _you_ need do do everything within your power to make things right with her again."

The two men stared each other down, with hard eyes. Sam shook his head, and promptly turned around to leave. He froze when he heard Xavier's voice in the still of the night.

"Thanks, Sam," Xavier said gently.

"Don't make me regret this," Sam replied through gritted teeth, without bothering to face Xavier.

With that, Sam stormed off, his heavy boots leaving imprints in the the soft grass. The captain moodily walked back towards the docks, despairing over his loss of Hali, and the dismal condition of the _Oak Leviathan_. He passed by a large ship, but stopped short and spun around on the heels of his boots. A flash of red, billowing in the wind, caught his attention. A red flag, featuring a skull with a rose poking through its empty eyes socket, was waving ominously above the crow's nest. Sam would never forget that flag. This was the pirate ship of Hard Hearted Hannah.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Sam is oh so close to Hali. Just a little bit further, and he might find her!

So, Hard Hearted Hannah's ship is called, the Misery. You may remember an animated movie from the 90's called _The Pebble and the Penguin_. There is a song in the movie called, _The Good Ship_ _Misery_. I thought that was an excellent name for a pirate ship, don't you? Barry Manilow composed the musical score for the entire movie. I love Barry Manilow!

Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl,

xJadeRainx


	11. Chapter 11: A Tale of Two Prisoners

"Food," Hannah grunted, "eat."

The captain presented Hali, with a bowl of lumpy gruel. By the looks of it, the bowl had never been washed before. The pig slop was ice cold. Maybe it would have been tolerable if were even lukewarm, but it looked hardly edible in this state. Hali would have much preferred a big, bland helping of steaming coral.

"No thank you," Hali said turning up her nose at the pirate delicacy, "I'm on a hunger strike."

"You know," Hard Hearted Hannah growled, "I'm beginning to think you are royalty, after all. You're too dignified. Your spirit hasn't been crushed by life, yet."

Hali didn't respond, but stared into the pirate's face, unblinking.

"Nothing to say to that, Lass?"

Hali glared at her oppressor, then without warning, spit in Hannah's face.

"How's that for undignified, Captain?" Hali goaded.

Hanna wiped the girl's spit off her face, in disgust.

"Watch yourself, Lass," rasped the captain.

Overhead, there was the sound of heavy footsteps, and then the cabin door creaked open again. One large, unshaven pirate descended the small staircase.

"Captain Hannah?" the pirate greeted hesitantly.

"Yes, Smee?" Hannah sighed with annoyance, "what is it now?"

"We have," Smee paused searching for words, "a sort of disturbance above deck."

Hard Hearted Hannah's eyes seemed to shoot out blue flames, momentarily. Then, she rose without a word to either Hali, or the other pirate, and stomped up the stairs above deck. Smee checked the knots, that were holding Hali captive. He gave a hard tug, and seemingly satisfied, traveled above deck after the captain.

* * *

Upon setting foot above deck, Captain Hannah's eyes met the eyes of Salty Sam himself.

"Welcome to the good ship, Misery, Captain Salty," Hard Hearted Hannah greeted in a sickeningly sweet voice, "may I ask why we have such an honor?"

Sam was in no mood for her shenanigans. He stared her down, with a razor sharp gaze. How hard could it be to intimidate a woman?

"What are you doing here, Hannah?" Sam growled, "Are you going to let your crew of wild animals loose on polite society?"

"You should watch you're tone _sailor_," Hannah used the word as an insult, "it's bad manners to speak to another captain in such a way, especially aboard her own ship!"

"Oh?" Sam laughed in disbelief, "but I suppose that good etiquette mandates you bombard a humble ship with cannon balls, even if the sailors aboard are minding their own business?"

"Now Salty," Hard Hearted Hannah pouted, "you're not still upset about our little run in are you?"

"Run in!" roared Sam, "My ship is nothing more than a pile of two by fours!"

Hannah circled around the sailor, as if she were sizing him up. Good, brave Sam wasn't intimidated, though. Suddenly, there was the sound of a muffled voice from below deck.

"Sam!"

Salty Sam was positive he had heard his name being called.

"What was that noise, Hannah?"

The pirate captain held a hand up to her ear, "I didn't hear anything," she said a little too innocently.

"Really?" chortled Sam, "because it sounded like a girl."

Sam attempted to open the cabin door, but Hard Hearted Hannah blocked his entry.

"I'm afraid my cabin is off limits, even to you, Salty," Hannah sneered.

"Move," Sam cried gruffly, pushing the woman aside.

Before Sam's hand even reached the doorknob, he felt the unmistakable cold metal, that was the barrel of a revolver at the nape of his neck.

"That's no way to treat a lady,"growled the voice behind the gun.

Hannah smiled, "Smee, tie him up, and add him to our little collection."

Smee roughly shoved Sam though the doorway. Having already roped the sailor's hands together, Smee gave Sam one forceful push, and he tumbled down the stairs, crying out in pain as he hid each step, hard. Smee could be heard chuckling, as he slammed the cabin door shut. Then, there was a click; the door had been locked from the outside.

Sam lay face down at the foot of the stairs, and he spit out a mouthfull of blood. He examined his mouth with his tongue, at least he hadn't lost any teeth during his fall.

"Sam?" a voice called out to him.

The captain was in far too much pain to look up, but he didn't have to. Sam knew the voice belonged to Hali.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Ouch! This was not one of Sam's most heroic moments, huh? Now both Hali and Sam are at Hard Hearted Hannah's whim, and no one knows where they are! Oh gosh, oh gee. I'm literally biting my fingernails. But Ha! I know what is going to happen next, and the rest of you are just going to have to wait!

So, the pirate Smee, is named after Smee form Peter Pan. He's Hannah's first mate, even though I didn't mention it, okay?

Things are mending now. I see a rainbow blending now,

xJadeRainx


	12. Chapter 12: Misery Loves Company

Xavier was at a loss of what to do. He had already checked the usual places he and Hali frequented. She wasn't hiding out in the cave, cut into the purple ocean side cliffs near the palace, that Hali had shown him, the lighthouse was empty, and the park was a ghost town. Xavier sat on a wooden bench in Carriage Square, with his head cradled in the palms of his hands. He desperately racked his brain, for any hint at where Hali might be. Xavier could think up only one other possibility. Maybe Hali had gone to see Sam again.

The stable boy jumped up from that old bench so quickly, that it made him dizzy. He didn't even wait for his head to recover, though. Xavier sprinted, as fast as his feet would carry him towards the harbor. Hali had to be there; she had to be.

Xavier never stopped running until he reached the end of the docks. Looking around, he couldn't see Hali anywhere, only a handful of drunken sailors. Xavier scanned the expanse of the harbor with his sea green eyes, filled to the brim with worry. No one had heard from Hali for hours, now. The stable hand caught a glimpse of what must have been Sam's ship. He was able to identify it easily. _The Oak Leviathan_, was the only ship that looked fit for the graveyard.

There were several, of whom Xavier assumed to be Sam's crew, standing outside the ship, chatting away. An older crewman, looked pretty beat up, and was holding ice against the top of his head, for some reason. The injured sailor was speaking to a tall, slender man, leaning against a wooden post. Xavier walked up to the two men, and was just in time to catch part of their conversation.

"I don't know, Mullet," The slim figured man cried, "he's probably off somewhere with that redhead."

'Could Hali be with Sam right now, after all?' Xavier thought to himself.

When Xavier finally approached the two men, they immediately stopped talking and stared at him.

"Are you members of Sam's crew?" Xavier questioned.

"What's it to you?" the slender man crossed his arms.

"I just need some information."

"Who the hell are you?" the man's arms were still crossed as he leaned against the post.

"My name's Xavier..."

"Are you with law enforcement?" the slender man stared at Xavier with hard, brown eyes.

"No," answered Xavier.

"Then I might have seen him. What do you want?"

The conversation was interrupted, when a young boy ran up to them, and tugged on the slender man's shirt sleeve.

"Piper, Piper!" the boy cried.

"Not now, Spider," the man called Piper swatted the child away like a fly.

"The last I saw of Sam, he was crying over some girl he has been pining for the last two years, now," Piper said facing Xavier, "he's probably off by himself somewhere. I'll tell Sam you were asking about him when he returns."

"But Piper!" the little spider shrieked.

"Spider!" Piper growled, "go scrape some barnacles, before I strip you of your nickname."

"Only the captain can do that!" the boy challenged.

Piper finally bent down, and pulled a knife form his boot, and ordered "Barnacles, now."

"Let the boy speak," Xavier said aggressively.

Piper glared at Xavier for a moment, as if to say he wasn't happy that the stranger had just compromised his authority. Finally, Piper nodded in the boy's direction; it was the cue for him to speak.

"The redhead girl was kidnapped," Spider cried.

"What!" Xavier screamed.

The boy appeared to be frighted by Xavier's outburst, and withdrew a few steps, unwilling to continue his story.

"Please," Xavier begged the boy, "please, this is important."

"I saw a dirty pirate drag her abroad the ship. It was Hard Hearted Hannah's ship."

"No," piper brushed off, "If Hannah was here, Sam would have known, and he would have told me."

Xavier grabbed hold of the boy's shoulders, looking his directly in his green eyes, "Are you absolutely sure about what you saw tonight?"

The boy nodded hesitantly, apparently intimidated by Xavier's muscular form. Xavier didn't wait a moment longer, as he darted back toward the direction of the palace.

* * *

Sam painfully managed to flip himself over, onto his back.

"Are you okay?" Hali asked.

"I think I just bruised a couple of ribs, but other than that, I'm getting along swimmingly," Sam answered.

"How did you ever find me?" questioned Hali.

"I wasn't looking for you, believe it or not," Sam winced, "I wanted to confront Hannah about what she did to my ship. You're the last person I ever expected to find here."

"Oh," Hali began, "what are the chances that we both were kidnapped by the same pirate on the same day?"

"Apparently, greater than one might expect," Sam exhaled.

Hali chortled. Only Sam could have her laughing, during a dismal situation like this.

"Xavier's looking for you, right now, though," the sailor informed.

Sam took Hali's silence, as a signal to continue speaking.

"He still loves you, Hali."

"I don't think I can ever forgive him, Sam," the princess lamented.

"Yes you can," Sam assured her, "and you will."

Before Hali could respond to Sam's statement, she was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps above deck.

"My name's Ophelia," Hali told Sam, "and I'm not a princess."

"Got it," acknowledged Sam.

Before long, both prisoners heard a soft click, that suggested the door to the cabin had just been unlocked. All either of them could see was a pair of black, heeled boots, at the top of the stairs.

Sam called out loudly, so that Hannah might hear him, "Fancy meeting you here, Ophelia. the boys tell me you've got a new, _prestigious_ job, now."

"Yep, Salty," Hali elevated her voice, having caught on to Sam's idea, "no more strip clubs for me!"

By this time, the pair of black heeled boots, had finished descending the stairs, and Captain Hannah stood before her prisoners in all her pirate glory. Sam, naturally, was still lying flat on his back, at this point, so Hannah's figure towered above him, like a giant.

Hannah stalked over to Hali, grabbing her by the neck of her cloak.

"Don't you dare touch a hair on her head!" Sam warned, ignoring his pain.

Captain Hannah glared down at Sam. She recognized the look in his blue eyes. The sailor used to look at her the same way, but that was a long time ago.

"How do you know the girl, Sam," Hannah asked aggressively, placing her boot at Sam's throat, but not yer applying any pressure.

"Do you think, that an old sea dog like me has never been to a strip joint before?" Sam wheezed as Hannah began to press down on his throat.

"Are you sure that she's not a princess?" Hard Hearted Hannah growled.

"Princess!" Sam chocked, "would a scoundrel like me keep company with a princess? Now a stripper on the other hand.."

Sam gurgled as Hannah dug the heel of her boot into his neck, just hard enough to draw blood.

"Why are you doing this Hannah Banana?" Sam tried to smile, but choked instead.

"Don't you dare call me that, Sam Bennett!" the pirate captain roared, but then her voice grew softer, "I'll ask you one last time; is she a princess?"

"Of course not, Banana," Sam rasped again.

"Fine," Hard Hearted Hannah said curtly, "Smee!"

Smee came bounding down the stairs, like an elephant that had just escaped a traveling circus.

"Arrrr, Captain?"

"Have these useless captives walk the plank!" Hannah roared in fury as she stormed out of the cabin.

As Smee roughly dragged the prisoners up to their feet, Hali said something that made Sam want to laugh, but he bit down on his lip, instead.

"Please," Hali produced a very convincing whimper, "please, anything but the plank! I can't swim!"

"That be the idea, wench," Smee chuckled hideously.

Sam and Hali stood side by side, on the rickety wooded plank, hovering ominously over the dark waves. The sky was already beginning to lighten, with stripes of pink and gold. The _Misery_ must have sailed away form the harbor for more than half the night. They were miles away form Shireland, at the moment.

"You neglected to mention, that you knew this Hannah personally," Hali whispered.

"No," Sam contradicted, "she's not the same Hannah I used to know."

"You mean, she's not the same Hannah you used to love," Hali challenged, without looking at him.

"That was a long time ago, Hali," Sam said hurriedly, "even before you."

Captain Hannah approached the doom pair and snickered at them.

"You should take your time and say your prayers now, me hearties."

Neither Hali or Sam would give Hard Hearted Hannah the satisfaction of a reply. This seemed to angry the captain, because she screamed for her first mate.

"Smee! Force them off the plank now!"

Smee did as his captain commanded, and began herding the captives towards the edge of the plank.

"Wait!" Sam yelped.

"What?" the pirate grunted, as he poked Sam's back with his sword.

"Would you at least untie our hands, so we have a chance to swim for our lives?"

Hannah laughed ferociously at this request, "Captain, where miles away form shore, now. You'd never make it there alive. Push them off now, Smee."

With one forceful shove, both Sam and Hali's bodies dropped through the air, towards the ocean. Just before they hit the water, Sam took a deep breath.

Hali, on the other hand whispered a simple word, "fins."

Hannah looked over the side of the boat in utter shock, "Smee, did you see that?"

"Aye captain. Isn't it bad luck to catch a mermaid?"

"Shut up Smee!"

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I put the ending between Hannah and Smee, in for comedic effect.

What! Sam and Hannah have some sort of history? Oh boy...

People say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one,

xJadeRainx


	13. Chapter 13: Fruitless Search

Hali and Sam's bodies cut through the water with two great splashes. It is incredibly difficult to swim without the use of arms, and Hali's waterlogged cloak was weighing her down, but at least she could still breathe. Poor Sam on the contrary, was sinking fast, although he gave his best effort, kicking his legs to make up for his useless arms. Hali needed to get the ropes around her wrists undone immediately. Only, she didn't know how, and the ropes were extremely tight.

Just as she was beginning to panic, Hali could feel the ropes being cut. As soon her hands were free, Hali hastily undid the clasp of her cloak, and let gravity claim the heavy garment. Hali spun around to see who had cut her ropes. Another merperson, perhaps?

No. Hali was staring into the eyes of a large sword fish. Surely this was the creature who severed the ropes.

"I'm here to protect you, Princess," the sword fish spoke first.

"Thank you," Hali began, "but could you help my friend out, please, before he drowns."

The sword fish hurriedly cut the ropes around Sam's wrists, and Hali quickly helped him back to the surface for air. Sam immediately spit out a great mouthful of sea water, and took in a deep, raspy breath.

"Are you okay, Sam?" Hali asked.

"Yeah," Sam choked, "I think so."

"Good," Hali replied submerging his head back under water, without warning.

Hali grabbed the back of Sam's hair, and delivered the Mermaid's Kiss, releasing exactly the right amount of magic for the job. As soon as their lips parted, the transformation began to take place. The entire lower half of Sam's body was now enveloped by a warm glow, that illuminated the water around them. Soon, Sam was staring down at his shimmering gold fins.

The swordfish spoke again, "Princess, my name is Katana. If you ever need my help again, just call out my name."

With that, the swordfish withdrew faster than she had appeared.

Hali watched in amusement, as Sam tried to get reacquainted with his tail. It didn't take him long, however, Sam had done plenty of swimming with that tail, only a year ago.

"I wasn't going to carry you all the back to shore, when you could swim for yourself," giggled Hali.

"You could have warned me first, Hali," Sam complained.

Sam simply shook his head, and the two merpeople swam back toward the direction of Shireland in a hurry.

* * *

Ariel and Eric sat in the palace throne room awaiting news form the guards. The queen and discovered that Hali was missing, when she had gone to check up on her, earlier that evening, and now, the sun had already risen. Eric had ordered every available guard to scour every last inch of the kingdom. The guards had been out all night, sending back a word to the king and queen every few hours. So far, no one had found Hali.

"Melody, darling," Ariel said sadly, "why don't you go on up to bed, now. We'll let you know if we hear anything."

"No, mom. I want to be here..."

Melody's voice trailed off, because Lance had just grabbed his pregnant wife my the hand, and stated dragging her upstairs, to the guest room they were sharing. Melody's voice could be heard protesting the entire way, but it was Lance who was destined to win this battle.

Ariel was no longer able to contain her tears, "Eric, what if something terrible has happened to her."

"Hush, Ariel," Eric grasped his wife's delicate hands in comfort, "don't think of such things. The guards should be reporting back soon, enough."

Not long after Eric finished his sentence, a group of five guards entered the throne room, with Warren at the lead.

"Any news?" the king demand.

"Your Majesties," Warren solemnly began, "the guards have scoured the entirety of Shireland, up to the boarders. There's been no sign of the princess, I'm sorry."

"What about Greer, and his group," Ariel sobbed hysterically, "perhaps they found her?"

"We haven't heard anything form Greer either, Your Highness," Warren said apologetically to Ariel.

"Well, go back out there and keep looking, Warren!" Eric ordered sternly.

"With all do respect, Your Majesty," Warren bowed, "I don't think the princess is in Shireland at all."

These words were all to much for Ariel, because she started to hyperventilate, gasping for air, and fanning herself with her hands. But then her brain told her to calm down, she had just though of a much safer possibility.

Ariel whipped her head over in Eric's direction, "Do you think Hali could have gone to Atlantica?"

The king looked at his wife's puffy face, stained with tears, but before Eric could answer, the doors to the throne room, unexpectedly burst open. There Xavier stood, red faced and tired from his run.

"Hali's not in Atlantica," panted Xavier.

"If you know where she is, Xavier," Eric threatened, "I suggest that you speak up, now."

"I reason to believe that Hali has been kidnapped by pirates," Xavier breathed heavily, "Hard Heated Hannah, to be specific."

Ariel gasped at the name, "Eric, I've heard terrible stories about that woman!"

"So have I, love," Eric's voice rang with genuine fear.

"How could she have gotten her hands on my baby?" Ariel began to wail again, letting the tears fall freely, seeing as her handkerchief was saturated and useless anyway.

"Guards! Ready the navy," roared Eric, "I want every last ship searching the seas!"

"Right away, Your Highness," Warren saluted, and turned to leave.

However, every last person was startled when they heard a weak voice speak out.

"Don't bother," Hali spoke just above a whisper, "the princess has returned."

Ariel gave out a squeal, and immediately, ran to the doorway, where Hali was leaning for support. Ariel scooped the wretched girl into a bear hug, then quickly inspected every inch of her daughter, looking for injuries. Hali was drenched, dripping salt water onto the floor, and leaving wet sandy footprints every time she moved. She had a large bruise on her neck, from when Hannah has so roughly grabbed her by the neck, but other than that, she appeared to be fine.

"What happened to you, my darling," Ariel demanded of her daughter.

"I'll tell you in the morning," Hali sighed, "I'm tired, and going to bed."

"Hali," Ariel tried to reason with the girl, "you really should be examined."

"Ariel, we'll have Dr. Salus check up on her in the morning. Let her rest, now." Eric breathed in relief.

Ariel glared at her husband in apparent protest, but didn't say anything more.

Hali turned to leave the throne room, when Xavier caught her gently by the arm.

"Hali," he hesitantly began.

The princess ripped her hand away from Xavier and said, "Sam is out on the beach half naked, will someone please bring the poor man some clothes."

With those words, Hali disappeared down the corridor, as she made her way to the safety of her bedroom.

* * *

Warren indeed found the sailor exactly how the princess had described, on the beach and half naked. The guard threw Sam some clothes, who hurriedly dressed himself. However, Sam was not yet free to go.

"The king and queen have requested an audience with you," Warren said gruffly, dragging Sam into the palace, toward the throne room.

Both Ariel and Eric, understandably had questions for the sailor.

"What were you with my daughter?" Ariel hissed.

"Why were you _naked_, with my daughter?" Eric thought that that particular detail was important.

"For starters," Your Majesty, "I wasn't _naked_. I still had my shirt on, you see..."

"Sailor," Eric glared, "I suggest you get to the point."

"If I were you, Your Majesty," Sam glowered right back, "I'd prepare for a pirate attack within the next few days. Hard Hearted Hannah is bound to be furious."

Sam purposefully spun around on his heels, and stormed out to the throne room. The guards drew their weapons, and blocked his passage.

"Let him leave," the king ordered.

As Sam walked thorough the doorway, he passed Xavier on the way out.

"She's really miffed at you, Xavier," Sam whispered to the stable hand, before leaving the palace.

* * *

By the time Sam got back to his ship, the sun had been out for over an hour, and his crew was just beginning to wake up.

"Sam!" Piper called out when he spotted his captain,"where the hell have you been? Were you with that redhead all night."

"For a lack of better words, yes," yawned Sam.

"Well you old sea dog," Piper grinned.

"Shut up, Piper, and find some work to do."

"Where are you going?" asked the first mate.

"To bed," Sam answered, without looking back.


	14. Chapter 14: Mystery on the Beach

Hali awoke to the touch of Ariel's hand, tucking strands of red hair behind her ear. She slowly became aware of the sensation, that there was a thermometer stuck in her mouth. This was ridiculous! Hali felt just fine.

"Mowm?" Hali attempted to speak with the thermometer still in her mouth.

"Shh, my darling," Ariel chided gently, "let the thermometer finish its reading."

Hali narrowed her eyes at her mother, and purposefully spit out the thermometer.

"Hali!" shrieked Ariel.

"I'm fine, mother," Hali groaned.

"Well you can never be too sure, darling," Ariel began motherly, "you had me scared to death last night."

"That's over now, mother," sighed Hali.

"Is it?" Ariel questioned with tears welling up in her eyes, "when I first heard the word pirates, last night, terrible memories of my mother cam flooding back to me. I thought that the past had repeated itself again."

"Well, it didn't, mom," Hali said struggling to get out of bed, for Ariel had tucked her in very tightly, with three or four blankets.

"Where do you think your going, young lady?" Ariel demanded.

"I only want to stretch my legs, woman!" Hali cried.

"Oh no, Hali," warned Ariel, "you're staying right where you are, until Dr. Salus has a look at you!"

"Fine," Hali conceded with a sigh, "call for him now, so we can get this whole charade over with."

This seemed to please Ariel, because she offered Hali a satisfied smile, and shuffled out of the doorway.

Hali sighed, flopping back down into bed, waiting for the good doctor to examine her. It wasn't like she needed it, though. Hali was staring blankly at the ceiling, when she noticed a golden light from her peripheral vision. The princess turned her head curiously, in the direction of the strange light. Her spell book was glowing again. With great effort, Hali managed to untangle herself from the mass of warm blankets Ariel had wrapped the wretched girl in. Finally free from the artificial cocoon, Hali immediately stretched her limbs. She savored the glorious feeling, and sighed in a satisfied manor. Then, she walked to the nightstand, to pick up her spell book, that had laid untouched for days. The moment Hali's fingers made contact with the book, its binding flew open with force. Hali found her self staring at a black page of aged parchment. Soon enough, words spontaneously began to scroll across the page.

_Чаму вы марудзіце, захавальнік?_

"Why do you hesitate, Keeper?" Hali whispered the words' translation.

Зоркі павінны быць знойдзены перш чым месяц завершыць свой цыкл!

"The Star must me found, before the the moon completes its cycle!" Hali read aloud.

Hali sat down at the edge of her bed. She had been so caught up in the recent events of her life, that Hali had forgotten all about the book's urgent warning. The book was trying to tell her something, or perhaps it was trying to prevent something form happening. Whatever the book's message might be, Hali knew she needed to find the Ocean's Star, now before it was too late. The Guardian stopped a minute to think. Hali didn't know where to begin searching. Then she remembered a conversation she had with Murphy, the previous year. Murphy had said that the magic trait that determined the next generation of Guardians, was found exclusively in their family lineage. The Ocean's Star had to be one of Hali's cousins.

"Oh great," moaned the Keeper, "that should be a cinch! There's only over a dozen of them."

One thing was fur sure, though, Hali needed to get the search for the Star going immediately. She had wasted so much time, already. Hali hurried over to her cherry wood desk, pulled open a drawer, and removed a piece of her official princess stationery. Hali hastily scribbled down a note for her parents.

_Dear Mom and Dad,  
Went to Atlantica. Be back by the end of the month.  
Don't worry about me. I'm fine.  
Love, Hali.  
XOXOX_

Hali place the note in her bed, where she was sure Ariel was bound to find it. Then, grabbing her spell book, the girl climbed over her balcony, and ran across the beach, towards the sea.

* * *

The sun had just barely set, and Xavier was seated, forlornly on the sandy beach, watching the waves force the sea foam onto the shore. He was surprised as anyone to find that Hali had fled the palace again, only hours after she had returned from her ordeal. Xavier desperately wanted to go to her, but his physiology prevented him form doing so. Melody was certainly in no condition to give him the Mermaid's Kiss. Even if she was, it wouldn't solve anything. Hali was bound to become even more furious with Xavier, if he had kissed her sister. He needed to get to her, but how?

Xavier stood, rather unwillingly, and turned to head back home. His father was probably wondering where Xavier had gone off to, by now, and if the horses were hungry, Xavier would never hear the end of it. The stable boy didn't want to add anything more to his heaping plate of discontent.

Just as Xavier had turned to leave, his ears caught the sound of a gentle, sweet humming in the distance. Could it be Hali? Xavier spun around suddenly, curious to see who the voice belonged to. A beautiful woman was gliding down the beach, heading right for him.

Try as he might, Xavier couldn't move his feet. He remained rooted in the sand where he stood. It was almost as if this beautiful woman had placed an enchantment on poor Xavier. As the woman drew closer and closer, Xavier was better able to distinguish her features. She was tall, much taller than Hali, but just as lovely. The mysterious woman had long, flowing, silvery hair, and she seemed to float on air. Xavier's heart was pounding in his chest cavity so quickly, that he swore he heard its every beat, and when he caught her eye, his heart stopped completely.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

What! What is this! Has Xavier forgotten Hali already? Who is this mysterious but beautiful woman with long. flowing, silvery hair?

So many questions! You're just going to have to read on and find out. Oh yeah, I won't post another word, until I get at least two reviews for this chapter. So, until then, please enjoy the cliff hanger, compliments of xJadeRainx!

Would you like to swing on a star? Carry moon beings home in a jar?

xJadeRainx


	15. Chapter 15: Creature of the Night

As soon as the woman's sweet humming ended, Xavier's enchantment was abruptly lifted. The stable hand found himself staring into a pair of the most unusual eyes he had ever seen. The woman had no whites, or pupils, instead, there were only two large, red orbs stuck in her head. Her silver hair was blowing in the sea breeze, and the strands glinted eerily in the moonlight.

"Who are you?" Xavier found himself questioning.

The woman offered a ghostly smile, and by the light of the moon, Xavier could distinguish two sharp fangs protruding from her lips, stained with blood.

"I am Lilith, of the Blood Clan," her voice was melodic, "a direct descendant of Alucard the First."

"You're a vampire," whispered Xavier.

"Oh," the creature sang, "humans are so painstakingly obvious."

This vampire woman was frightening, and Xavier didn't like where this encounter was heading. Despite all that, the poor man could not bring himself to move, not even an inch.

"What do you want?" Xavier asked aggressively.

"I'm here to help you, Xavier."

Xavier faltered, "How do you know me?"

Lilith hissed at him, "Vampires are not like _humans_. We see everything."

The vampire then traced a long red fingernail across Xavier's cheek, menacingly. Xavier shivered, but there was nothing he could do, to escape her touch.

"I'm here to offer you a bargain, Xavier," Lilith coaxed.

"I don't deal with devils," growled Xavier.

"Oh, how hastily you reply!" Lilith cried, as she circled his body, "aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Do vampires always toy with their meals before eating?" Xavier sneered.

"Oh my, no. The blood of the French is too sweet. I require something with a little more bite in it," Lilith hissed, blowing hot air on Xavier's neck.

The feel of the creature's breath made Xavier's skin crawl.

"I'll ask you again," Xavier gave his best attempt at appearing brave, "what is it you want?"

"I believe the _real_ question is, what do _you_ want, Xavier. I can give you anything."

Xavier stared hard into the daemons red eyes. He couldn't even tell if she could see out of them at all.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Xavier breathed.

"Don't you pine for a certain red haired maid?" Lilith cocked her head, "I can give you what you need to go to her."

"A tail?" stammered Xavier.

"No," Lilith laughed, "not _a_ tail, _you're_ tail. And only for a small price, too. Really, it's an offer you simply can't refuse."

It seemed that the vampire enjoyed talking in riddles. What's more, Xavier didn't trust her at all.

"I'm afraid that I am going to have to decline, Lilith of the Blood Clan," Xavier declared.

"Suit yourself," Lilith shrugged, and she continued gliding her way across the beach.

As the vampire traveled further and further from him, Xavier finally regained control of his body. There were no words that could describe how good it felt to be able to move, again. Xavier watched with baited breath as Lilith's form began to disappear over the horizon. For reason's unknown to him, Sam's voice rang throughout Xavier's head.

_So, Xavier, __you_ need do do everything within your power to make things right with her again.

"Everything within my power," Xavier whispered.

Xavier stood, unmoving, for a moment, contemplating what he should do. He was slowly dieing inside, without Hali. If this really was his only chance to set things right... besides, it couldn't hurt to just see what the vampire wanted from him.

"Wait!" Xavier hollered after her, but the vampire simply continued her way down the deserted beach.

The stable hand did not want to take the chance of having Lilith disappear on him, so he chased after her. It was uncanny to see how slowly she advanced, almost floating above the sand. Xavier soon caught up to the creature, and stretched out his hand, to grab hold of her shoulder. He pulled it back instantly, for her skin was scorching hot.

"Don't ever touch a vampire,_ boy_," hissed Lilith.

The daemon smirked, as Xavier blew cold air onto the tips of his fingers, in an effort to sooth the minor burns.

"What is it you want in exchange for making me a merman?"

Lilith smiled, baring her fangs, "I just want you to be my friend, Xavier."

The stable boy regarded her suspiciously, "your... friend?"

"Yes, my friend," Lilith reiterated, "It's a lonely existence, being a vampire. Everyone just... runs away, and that makes me sad."

"S-so," stammer Xavier, "if I agree to be your friend, you will turn me into a merman, so that I could go find Hali."

"That's the idea," Lilith's eyes shone red, "a very small price, for a chance to patch things up with the woman you love. Don't you agree?"

Something buried deep within Xavier's brain, was telling Xavier to walk away, while he still had the chance. However, Xavier pushed that voice aside, forcefully. The fool was only thinking with his heart now.

"Alright," submitted Xavier, "I'll do it. I'll be your friend, Lilith."

"Excellent," Lilith grinned, ripping open Xavier's shirt, and placing a hot hand upon his chest.

When the vampire finally removed her hand, a small mark, resembling a droplet of blood, remained on Xavier's chest. It glowed red for a moment, but soon faded away into nothingness.

"What was that?" questioned Xavier.

"That marks says you belong to Lilith of the Blood Clan," the vampire explained, "should another vampire every cross paths with you, he would not dare to touch you."

"Really?"

"Yes," Lilith answered simply, before disappearing into thin air.

"Hey, wait!" Xavier cried, "you were supposed to make me a merman!"

As Xavier finished uttering these words, a sharp, searing pain, shot through the entirety of his body. The pain was so white hot, and intense, that Xavier soon blacked out.

When Xavier finally came to, hours later, he awoke, lying in the sand. The stable hand felt terrible. He felt... thirsty. Looking down, Xavier saw a strong tail, where his legs used to be. His scales were drying out fast. Xavier needed to get into the water. He began dragging his body across the coarse sand, scraping the skin on his chest and forearms, until he finally reached the edge of the sea. Just before he pulled his body into the ocean, he heard a voice carried by the wind.

_Xavier?_

The merman looked around wildly in every direction, but he could see no one. What's worse, was he knew the voice belonged to Lilith. Xavier would never forget the eerie melody of her voice.

"Lilith!" the merman cried out in panic.

_Don't ever tell anyone about our little contract, or you will die._

* * *

"Please Sebastian," the merman with the hunter green fins begged, "I have nowhere else to go."

"I don' like tis, mon," Sebastian replied, "but ya can rent out da room upstairs."

"Rent?" the merman asked confused.

"Yes, rent, mon," the crab snapped, "nuting is free ya know!"

"But I don't have any money."

"Fine," Sebastian sighed, "ya can work at da bar, to pay fer ya room, mon. Da club open in an hour."

With that, the crab swam away, leaving the merman alone, in the club.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Vampires now? Should Xavier have trusted that Lilith of the Blood Clan? Is she really only misunderstood and looking for a friend, or does she have something more evil in mind? Who is the merman, broke and without a place to stay, begging for Sebastian's generosity? What else is that diabolical xJadeRainx going to throw at you, dear readers?

Most of you might have guessed this already, but Alucard is Dracula spelled backwards. Just like Yensid is Disney spelled backwards, and Elppaenip is Pineapple spelled backwards!

And the people all said "Sit down, sit down, you're rocking the boat",

xJadeRainx

PS. Should Melody give birth to a boy or a girl. I haven't decided yet, although I'm leaning towards boy. I am willing, however, to go with the majority vote. It isn't that big of a deal for me.


	16. Chapter 16: The Search Begins

Hali was simply amazed at how quickly Atlantica had rebuilt itself. Tiamat's reign of terror was only ended a year ago, and already, Atlantica was the bustling underwater kingdom it had always been. Although King Triton was quickly regaining his strength and kingly vitality, he was still not perfectly healthy. Therefore, Attina, the oldest of Hali's aunts, was still in temporary command of the throne. Really, Attina was doing a bang up job. Hali felt the slight pangs of guilt, at the thought that perhaps, Attina should keep the throne permanently.

Hali sat musingly in the large guest room she had stayed in during her last trip to Atlantica. She stared down at her spell book wondering how she could possibly get the search for the Star started. Which of her relations was most likely to be a guardian? Then again, it probably didn't follow any type of pattern, anyway. Just her luck.

When the door to the guest suddenly burst open, Hali hurriedly shoved her spell book underneath her seaweed pillow. She had no idea why she even did that. It was just a reaction.

"Hali!" a familiar voice squeaked in excitement.

"Hello, Serene," Hali smiled at the little mermaid.

"I missed you!" the mergirl cried, grabbing on to Hali's tail, and sticking like the slime on the bottom of a sea slug.

"I missed you too, Serene," Hali replied, loosing the girl's uncomfortably tight grip on her fins.

"What about Darwin?" Serene questioned with a quivering lip.

"What about Darwin?" it took all Hali's strength not to chuckle at the look on the adorable child's face.

"Did you miss Darwin?" Serene beseeched, holding the stuffed seahorse a mere three inches from Hali's nose.

"Yes, of course I did," Hali promised the child, gently lowering the toy away from her face. She was going cross-eyed.

"Oh good," Serene chirped swimming around in quick little circles, "Darwin was worried you forgot about him."

"Forget Darwin!" Hali gasped in an offended tone, "Never!"

Suddenly, the six year old's demeanor grew deadly serious.

"Greta, said that some stupid boy broke your heart," the mermaid's brown eyes glinted with anger.

"And where did Greta hear that?" Hali demanded.

"From Cricket," the girl said with a shrug of her tiny shoulders.

"And where did Cricket..." Hali stopped speaking abruptly when the door swung open again.

"From me, I'm afraid."

Hali looked up to see that her favorite of the older cousin's, Jade had just entered the room. The Guardian secretly hoped that Jade would be the Star. Jade was wise and crafty. If the ocean should fall into turmoil once more, Hali would be relieved to know that Jade was at her side.

"I guess news travels fast," blushed Hali.

"It does when you have as many cousins as we do," Jade answered sympathetically, "someone must have overheard one our mothers talking amongst themselves."

"Yeah," Hali said sadly looking down at her fins.

"Serene," Jade looked to the girl, "why don't you go find your mommy, and ask her if you can stay with Hali again, until she goes back home."

"Okay!" the girl brightened, "but I'm leaving Darwin here, just in case."

The mermaid quickly swam to the empty clam shell bed, and lovingly placed Darwin atop the seaweed bedding. Then the girl zipped away, leaving a trail of bubbles in her wake.

"Someone's got to enter that mermaid into the Water Race next summer," commented Hali.

"Hali," Jade stared at her cousin with knowing green eyes, "do you want to talk about anything?"

"Not really," Hali sighed looking down to her fins again.

"Oh my goodness," shrieked Jade, "did he give you that horrible bruise on your neck?"

Hali's hands immediately flew to her throat, thoughts of Hard Hearted Hannah reentering her mind. She gave a sudden shudder.

"No!" Hali cried, "Xavier wouldn't hurt a," she paused, because she had wanted to say 'fly', "he would never hurt a plankton. Unless that plankton's name was Sam, then he might consider..."

"What?" Jade asked genuinely confused.

"Never mind," sighed Hali, "it's a long story."

"So what brings you to Atlantica so suddenly, Hali?" Jade wisely changed the subject, noticing her cousin's discomfort.

This reminded Hali of her spell book. How could she have forgotten so quickly? This was far from a leisure visit, although she would have like it to be so. Hali hastily picked up the seaweed pillow where she had stashed the book, and flung the pillow across the room , for no real reason at all. As she picked up the book the binding flew open, just as if usually did. Hali, once again, slammed the book closed. At gently laid in on the bed in front of Jade.

"Touch the book, Jade," Hali ordered.

"Why?" Jade raised her dark eyebrows, as if Hali were crazy.

"Just do it," sighed Hali, "or are you just a little guppy."

Having so many cousin's both older and younger than her, Hali had leader almost every merpeson insult ever invented.

"I'm no guppy!" Jade cried offended.

Jade reached out to touch the book, and Hali held her breath the whole time. When Jade's finger made contact with the book, nothing happened. Hali let out the breathe she had been holding in. She couldn't help be feel a little bit deflated, but at least that narrowed down the search by one.

"Oh well," Hali shrugged, tucking the book beneath her arms.

"What was that about?" Jade asked.

"Nothing, just forget about it," Hali smiled sadly.

"You're still thinking about that Xavier guy, aren't you?" Jade asked abruptly.

"Yes," admitted Hali.

"Come on, Hali," Jade commanded, tugging her cousin by the arm.

"Where are we going?" inquired Hali.

"Someplace where you can forget all about him."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

So, in the following chapters, you will get to meet all of Hali's many cousins. Won't that prove to be interesting? Where do you think Jade is taking Hali? Hmmm....

So, in a previous chapter, I had written that the Ocean's Star must be one of Hali's cousins. What I should have wrote was that the Ocean's Star could have been any of Hali's cousins or many aunts. I'd go back and edit that, but I'm too lazy, so just keep that little tidbit in mind, okay?

Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum,

xJadeRainx


	17. Chapter 17: Nightlife

Hali tried to stiffen her body in resistance, unfortunately, Jade was the stronger swimmer of the two. Hali's cousin pulled the poor girl along helplessly, by the arm.

"Seriously, Jade," Hali struggled, her spell book still tucked under her arm, "where are you taking me?"

"To the Catfish Cabana!" the mermaid answered excitedly.

"The what?"

"The Catfish Cabana," Jade repeated, "Sebastian renovated the Catfish Club, oh, about six months ago. He renamed it, and the Cabana has been a hot spot with the younger crowd, like us."

"You're taking me to a club?" groaned Hali.

"Yes, to drown all your sorrows," Jade stated bluntly.

"I don't have any sorrows to drown, Jade," Hali complained.

With that, Jade immediately stopped swimming, and regarded her cousin suspiciously, with raised eyebrows.

"Is that so?"

Hali blushed, as her shoulders sagged, "not sorrows, just... memories."

"Oh," Jade smiled in understanding, "well then, we're just going to have to make you some new memories!"

Hali let out a defeated sigh, but no longer tried to resist her cousin's relentless tugging. If their was one thing Hali needed to hate about Jade, was that the girl was always so chipper. She absolutely refused to let people wallow in their own self pity. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Hali felt like doing at the moment.

Hali shivered, ever so slightly. The last time she was here, she had been plotting the downfall of the evil Tiamat. Hali spanned the length of the club with her lovely azure eyes. Sebastian really had outdone himself. The place looked amazing, splashes of color, and loud music were everywhere. To think that only a year ago, both Sam and Xavier were lying on the cold abandoned floor, drifting in and out of consciousness! Hali crossed her arms in self loathing. Thoughts of Xavier were plaguing her brain once again. At least she wasn't going to have to deal with him in person for another whole month.

"So this is the Catfish Cabana," Hali threw on a convincing smile, and turned to her cousin.

"Yep," Jade answered, "The hottest spot north of Atlantica!"

The two mermaids shared a few giggles, but soon, Jade grabbed Hali by the arm, once more, and shoved the girl inside.

"Hey, Ray-Ray!" Jade called out to a large blue manta ray.

"Hey there, Ladyfish," rasped Ray-Ray, "who's the girl?"

"This is my cousin, Hali," introduced Jade, "Ariel's daughter."

"Ah, cool baby, cool," Ray-Ray snickered, "how's old Red doing, these days?"

"Um," Hali faltered, "swell, I guess..."

"Bye, Ray-Ray," Jade chirped, dragging Hali deeper into the club, "we're going to grab a table, now."

"Alright," laughed Ray-Ray, "get in there and jive, man, jive!"

It was a full house, that much was certain, but somehow, Jade located an empty table, and the two mermaids sat down. Hali immediately burred her face in her arms, resting on the table. Jade began to impatiently drum her fingers, loudly on the table cloth.

"Hali," Jade called out in an annoyed voice.

Only, Hali didn't bother to answer.

"Hali," the mermaid repeated, "You're not going to sit here and mope, all night long!"

"Why not?" whined Hali.

"Because, we're here to have fun," replied Jade, "Remember fun?"

"No," Hali's answer was short, and unsatisfying.

Jade was about to badger her favorite cousin further, when a familiar merman frantically swam by their table, clearly in search of something, or more specifically, in search of someone.

"Hey, Merrick!" Jade yelled over the din, "over here!"

The merman called Merrick stopped, and circled around, swimming back to Hali and Jade's table. Merrick was Jade's older brother. He was very handsome with brown hair, blue eyes, and a cerulean tail. Merrick was a no nonsense kind of merman, very serious, and overly protective of his family.

"Hello, Jade," greeted Merrick, his head still bouncing around the Catfish Cabana, looking for someone.

"What exactly are you doing?" questioned Jade.

"Looking for Cricket."

"Cricket?" Hali asked, "What would Cricket be doing here?"

"She's not supposed to be. She's too young," Merrick frowned, "but I overheated her talking to Leomaris... when I find her, I'm bringing her straight back to the castle!"

"Oh, sit down, Merrick," Jade ordered, "she probably knew you were listening, and made it up. You know, Leo. he's always up for a joke at someone else's expense!"

Merrick sat down gruffly, crossing his arms, and mumbling to himself, under his breath.

"What brings you girl's here?" Merrick asked, still feeling grouchy.

"We're here to make Hali forget all her troubles," Jade answered.

"Oh right," Merrick pounded his fist against the table, causing it to float slightly, before settling back to the floor, "some idiot human broke your heart. Hali, if I ever get my hands on that guy..."

"Merrick!" Hali gasped, pointing towards the dance floor, "isn't that Cricket?"

Merrick jumped out of his seat, faster than a tidal wave, and spun around wildly, "Where, where! Cricket! I'm going to find you, Cricket!"

With that, the young merman swam off in the direction of the dance floor, in hot pursuit of his baby sister.

"You didn't really just see Cricket, did you?" Jade asked.

"No, I just wanted him to go away," admitted Hali, who once again buried her face in her arms.

"Hey!" Jade cried, hitting Hali on the head, "no more of that!"

Hali lifted her head, making eye contact with her cousin, "Why?"

"You're thinking of that human boy again, aren't you?"

"No," Hali said decidedly, straitening herself.

"Oh really," Jade pursed her lips in disbelief.

"Yes, really," Hali reiterated, "I was just thinking about how upset Serene will be when she returns to find an empty room."

"Right," sighed Jade, "anyway, forget a bout that. We're here to find you another boyfriend. Why don't you try dating a merman this time around?"

"What!"

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, as they say," Jade continued, ignoring her cousin's mini panic attack.

* * *

The merman with the hunter green tail, was stuck behind the bar. His new boss was a complete tyrant. Sebastien was one crabby crab, and very difficult to work for. Sometimes, there was just no pleasing him. The disheartened merman sighed. Sebastien was even worse than his father, when it came to this type of thing.

"Say, handsome," A female's voice called out, pulling the bartender out of his thoughts, "I'll have a Bermuda Oyster."

"Huh?" the merman with the hunter green tail replied, stupidly.

"A Bermuda Oyster," the mermaid repeated a little annoyed.

"Oh, right," the bartender blushed, "coming right up, Miss."

The poor merman remained behind the bar, unsure of where to start. A Bermuda Oyster? That didn't sound to appetizing, but to each his own. His eyes scanned the many bottles, stored on the shelves behind the bar. This couldn't prove to be too difficult, right?

"Let's see," the bartender murmured to himself, "What was it that Sebastian said? Two parts liquor...one part oyster shell. Or was it two parts oyster shell, and one part liquor?"

"Do you always talk to yourself when you work," the red haired mermaid laughed, leaning her elbows on the counter.

Red hair. Somehow the merman didn't realize that about her, before.

"No, not usually," the bartender blushed again.

The mermaid grinned seductively, "My name's Tallulah. What's yours?"

"Um," chocked the merman with the hunter green fins.

"You haven't got much brains, huh?" Tallulah smiled, tracing his muscular arms with her finger, "that's okay. I like my guys cute and stupid, just like you."

"Listen, er, Tallulah," the bartender breathed, "I'm sure your a very...nice mermaid, but I'm just not interested. Here's you're Bermuda Oyster, though," he added with a charming smile.

Tallulah snorted in her disbelief, and swam away moodily. With the mermaid gone, the bartender let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that most redheads had hot tempers.

* * *

"But Jade," Hali cried out in despair, "I don't want to find another boyfriend right now. I just want to sulk."

"Nonsense," Jade said dismissively, "you'll be in love again, before you leave to go back home. If you even want to go back home, that is."

"You're not listening to me," Hali began to complain, but was soon interrupted by Merrick.

Merrick pulled out a chair and sat back down at the table, with his sister and cousin, as grumpy as ever.

"Are you sure you saw Cricket, Hali?" he lamented.

"I thought I did," Hali smiled sheepishly, "but then again, I could have been mistaken."

Merrick sat, with his arms crossed, completely unamused.

"What were you girls up to while I was on a wild fish chase?" he grumbled, glaring at Hali.

"Nothing," Hali shrugged.

"Ha!" laughed Jade, "we're going to find Hali another boyfriend, right here in Atlantica."

Merrick's head picked up at this suggestion, and he turned to Hali.

"Although I don't normally agree with this one, here," Merrick nodded in Jade's direction, "I do think that merman are more honorable than _humans_."

"Oh really?" Hali raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms in a way that imitated Merrick.

"No offense, Hali," the merman added quickly.

"None taken," Hali laughed, glaring once again at Jade, "Still that doesn't mean I want a new boyfriend, just yet."

Once again, Jade resolved to ignore her cousin's desperate pleas, "Hey, that merman behind the bar is kind of cute! Just have a look at him, Hali."

"I don't want to look at the merman behind the bar," Hali whined, staring down at her own chartreuse fins."

"Well he's looking at you," Jade informed, "rather intently, actually. Strange. I've never seen him around Atlantica before..."

"Atlantica is a large kingdom, Jade," Merrick used his annoying know it all voice, "you can't have possibly met everyone..."

"Oh shut up, Merrick," Snapped Jade, "hold Hali's book while we go dancing."

Jade shoved the book in Merrick's hands without warning. Hali froze, holding her breath in anticipation of her Spell book's reaction to Merrick's touch.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah**

So, here is the long awaited update. Now, was the team of assassins really necessary? You know who you are!

Ray-Ray, form Ariel's Beginning, would like to take the time out of his busy schedule, to say hello to each and everyone of you!

Hmm... Could Merrick be the Ocean's Star? Check back soon to find out!

Anyway, The Catfish Cabana is a reference to a Barry Manilow song, called...._Copacabana_. So is the line, "The hottest spot north of Atlantica." I had this idea for a while, but it seems that Converse r life got it written down before I did. I couldn't very well call it Catfish Club: The Next Generation, now could I? Plus, I have been listening to a whole lot of Bary Manilow music lately. He is so awesome! So, Barry, if you happen to be out there, reading Little Mermaid fanfiction, then this one's for you, where ever you are! Did anyone else besides me, actually get that? If not look it up. You just might win a mini prize, if you review along with it!

I have often walked down this street before,

xJadeRainx


	18. Chapter 18: Surprising Arrivals

The spell book remained tightly closed in Merrick's hands. Hali felt slightly guilty, when she had let out a sigh of relief. Merrick wasn't a bad guy, and she loved him dearly, but he simply wasn't Hali's first choice for the Ocean's Star. Sure, Merrick was smart, he just wasn't innovative. He was logical, methodical, mathematical, and a whole lot of other icals, but Merrick lacked a certain degree of creativity. If there was anything that Hali had learned in the past year, it was, that sometimes in the face of adversity, ingenuity was oftentimes the key to success.

Merrick handled the book awkwardly, while attempting to open it. Obviously, he was dreadfully unsuccessful. Finally he gave up on the task, and looked up to Hali, in a confused sort of manner.

"What kind of book is this, Hali?" questioned Merrick.

"Oh, that's my diary," Hali lied, "it only opens with a special key."

Hali decided not to tell her cousins about the search for the star. Gossip in King Triton's castle travels fast, especially with Hali's mass of curious cousins. The one thing Hali didn't need right now, was the pandemonium the search was bound to stir up. The less anyone knew, the better.

"Do you always carry your diary along with you?" Merrick asked, as he furrowed his brows.

"Well, er, yes..." Hali found her self searching for words, "that way, I know that nobody will ever find it..."

Hali was tankful that she didn't have to finish her sentence, becasue Jade had finally grown bored of the conversation and hauled her over towards the dance floor.

"I'm not exactly in the mood to dance, Jade," Hali grumbled.

"Okay," her cousin conceded, "how about a drink than?"

"No," Hali cried, waving her hands in fort of her face, "remember what happened the last time I had merperson alcohol? There really isn't anything that strong on land, you see..."

"Nonsense," Jade dismissed her cousin again, "you're older now. I'm sure that your system has... matured. Besides, now you can get introduced to that cute bartender."

"Noooo," groaned Hali, "why me? Why?"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Jade ordered.

Once again, Jade asserted herself over Hali, and pushed, and shoved her all the way to the bar. Hali knew that she was a small girl, but that didn't mean that she had to allow others to push her around. Hali vowed to herself that she would begin a strict workout regimen, upon her return to Shireland. That way, no one would be able to force Hali into doing something she didn't want to do, ever again.

Jade sat Hali down on a stool at the bar. The bartender had his back towards them, as he studied the various bottles of merperson alcohol. For one strange reason or another, the the back of the bartender's head looked very familiar to Hali. In fact, the back of his head was almost exactly like the back of Xavier's head. The hair color was uncannily similar, anyway. Hali shook her head, to rid herself of such thoughts. Xavier was not in Atlantica. He wasn't even under the sea! It was only Hali's broken heart, affecting her brain again.

"Excuse me, bartender," Jade interrupted his studies rather politely, "can we get two Oceanside Twists?"

Without turning around, the bartender scratched his head. Clearly, he was one of Sebastian's new hires, seeing as he appeared to have no clue where to start.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like a Bermuda Oyster?" The bartender began, still regarding the bottles, "I already learned how to make those the hard way."

Then, the bartender with the hunter green tail turned around suddenly. He had been wearing a large, charming smile, but it faded from his face quickly, for Hali's eyes had grown wide in disbelief.

"Xavier!" Hali screeched.

"Hali," Xavier's cheeks burned red, "I was going to go talk to you before, but I wanted to get things settled here first, and Sebastian wouldn't let me leave the bar, and..."

"Xavier?" Hali began to choke, "what are you doing here?"

Meanwhile, Jade was moving her head between her cousin and the bartender, in complete shock of the scene that was unfolding before her very eyes. Really, the odds had to be a billion to one!

"I needed to see you, Hali," Xavier tried to explain, "to talk to you."

"So you thought the best way to go about that was to kiss my sister?" Hali's eyes were already starting to tear, "she's pregnant for God's sake!"

"No," Xavier said seriously, "I did not kiss Melody."

"My mother!" shrieked Hali.

"No, no," Xavier held his arms wide in an innocent gesture, "I found another way, Hali. You've got to believe me."

"There isn't another way, Xavier," Hali spat, before swimming off in a hurry.

Xavier remained behind the bar, stunned at how badly the whole meeting just went. This was going to be harder to fix than he had originally thought.

"So, you're Xavier?" Jade frowned at him.

"Yes," Xavier answered without looking at her, then he swam off, in pursuit of Hali.

The Catfish Cabana was jam packed, and Xavier found it hard to maneuver his way around the merpeople, who were dancing, partying, and just having fun in general. Only, he never stopped swimming for a minute. Xavier needed to catch up with her. He had lost sight of her some time ago, but then hid eyes caught a flash of red. Xavier knew it was Hali's long, fiery hair trailing behind her. He sped up, hoping to close the gap between them, when Xavier's body unexpectedly slammed into another merman.

"Sorry," Xavier apologized, as he turned to continue his chase.

Only the merman wasn't having any of it. He purposefully blocked Xavier's way, again, drawing himself up to his full height. Xavier found himself staring into a pair of bright blue eyes, that nearly matched their owners cerulean tail.

"Look," Xavier growled annoyed, who also drew himself up to his full height, "I really need to go, now."

"Leave Hali alone," the merman ordered.

"Excuse me?" Xavier couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You heard me," the mermaid furrowed his dark brown eyebrows, and crossed his arms menacingly.

"Who are you, exactly?" glared Xavier, "and how do you know Hali?"

"My name is Merrick," the merman announced, "and I'm someone who loves her."

With that, the mermaid whipped his body around, in an attempt to leave. Merrick's strong tail _accidentally _smacked Xavier in the face, as he swam away.

* * *

Hali lied in the great clam shell bed, on her stomach with her face buried in a seaweed pillow. Oh, how she hated herself! Here she was on an important mission to discover and train the Ocean's Star, and all she could do was cry to herself over Xavier. Hali knew she needed to get over this depression, and quickly, but seeing him again so unexpectedly, really jolted her nerves. Hali didn't even stir when she heard the door creak open. It was probably Jade, coming to give one of her pep talks that Hali was in to mood to listen to.

"Hali?" a small unsure voice called out, while creeping into bed with her.

Hali dried her tears immediately, and turned to face the diminutive figure of Serene. She was such a sweet little mermaid.

"Oh, Hi Serene," Hali sniffled, trying to hide her emotions from her little cousin, "hi, Darwin."

Serene never went anywhere without that stuffed seahorse. Never.

"Are you sad?" the mermaid inquired with a quivering lip.

"No," lied Hali, "just... tired."

"I don't believe you," challenged Serene, "neither does Darwin, and he's a very smart seahorse!"

Hali found herself giggling from a combination of Serene's words, and the look on her face. The little mermaid seemed so serious, so grown up. It just struck Hali as funny, for some reason.

"I'm not sad, really."

Serene held up the green and purple seahorse to her ear, and held it there for several minutes, nodding every so often. If Hali didn't know any better, she might have believed that the toy was actually communicating with the child.

"Darwin said that he asked mommy to bake some of her famous Plankton Paradise cookies, to make you feel better."

"Really?" Hali tried her best to make her voice sound full of awe, "I love Aunt Andrina's Plankton Paradise cookies! Thanks, Darwin!"

Hali immediately placed a kiss on the top of Darwin's stuffed head. This appeared to make Serene extremely happy, becasue she bounded out of bed, and swam about the room in quick little circles, her ruby tail swishing wildly. This was Serene's telltale sign of contentment.

"Great!" the blond mermaid squealed, "Mommy's in the kitchen, right now. Let's go!"

With that, Serene raced out of the room so quickly, Hali didn't even see the girl disappear. The only evidence that Serene was ever in the room, was a trail of fresh air bubbles, that were slowly drifting towards the ceiling. Hali smiled to herself, and finally got up from bed. Then, she made her way to the kitchen where Serene was waiting for her, no doubt.

When Hali finally arrived at the kitchen, Andrina's Plankton Paradise cookies, had just come out of the oven. Hali was surprised to see that it wasn't just Serene and Andrina sitting in the kitchen. There was also Greta, Iris, and Kelvin, her three youngest cousins, besides Serene, waiting patiently at the table, their mouths watering at the smell of the fresh baked cookies. Hali was glad she had brought her book along with her.

Hali placed her spell book, flat on the table. Immediately, the little hands of Greta, Iris, and Kelvin, began grabbing at the book. Amazingly, the book did not react to the touch of a single one of them. Andrina was concerned that the little merchildren were going to ruin Hali's book, so she picked it up, and handed back to Hali. Unbelievable. Andrina was also not the Ocean's Star. Again, Hali found herself oddly glad. If Merrick was too serious, then Andrina was the exact opposite, always ready with a joke. Hali needed someone who was an excellent balance between the two.

Kelvin, Andrina's son, and Serene's older brother was the first to speak, "I want those cookies!"

"Well, you're just going to have to wait, little boy," Andrina chided, "they're still too hot."

"I'm not little," the merboy argued, "I'm eight years old!"

"They're hot just the same," Andrina commented.

"Hali gets the first cookie!" Serene called out, "Mommy made them s'pecially for her!"

"No way!" disagreed Kelvin, "I want the first cookie!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Both sisters, Greta and Iris chimed in, "why don't we get the first cookies?"

This started a mini war between the young relatives, as they decided to battle for the right to eat the first cookie. Hali and Andrina could both see that this argument was not headed in a very good direction, not at all. Hali looked to her aunt, searching for what to do. Andrina just winked as she took control of the situation.

"If you kids don't stop that bickering, then none of you are going to get _any_ cookies," Andrina emphasized the word any.

That did the trick, all right, seeing as each child shut their mouths immediately.

"Impressive," Hali stated, turning to her aunt.

"Now, while we wait for the cookies to cool," Andrina laughed, "how about a joke!"

The mouths of the merchildren, that were formorly closed, all opened again, groaning in protest. Only, Andrina chose to ignore their obvious lack of enthusiasm.

"Why is it so easy to weigh a fish?" Andrina began."

Since none of the children seemed to be biting, Hali asked, "I don't know, Aunt Andrina. Why?"

"Because," Andrina slapped her fins, "fish carry their own scales!"

Hali, Serene, and Darwin, were the only ones to laugh at Andrina's joke. After the group had filled up on cookies and blue whale's milk, Andrina ordered the troupe to bed, Hali included.

* * *

That night, closing the club was a real pain in the fins. Sebastian was none to happy with Xavier, seeing that Xavier received so many costumer complaints. One note read:

_How could the Catfish Cabana ever employ such a simpleton of a bartender?  
Not only was he slow, and clueless, he made several grossly inappropriate comments about me.  
I have never been so offended in my life.  
-Tallulah from Atlantica _

Xavier laughed to himself. He remembered that Tallulah. And to think that she called him inappropriate! The miserable merman, lied in bed, in a room above the club, that Sebastian so graciously rented out to him. Unfortunately, the poor bloke, couldn't sleep a wink. All Xavier could do was think of Hali, and the huge mess he had gotten himself into with her. Oh well. There was always tomorrow. Xavier finally closed is eyes in an effort to sleep. Sleep deprivation never did anyone any good, after all. Just as he felt that sleep was about to claim him, Xavier heard a familiar voice fill the expanse of his room. The voice belonged to Lilith.

_Xavier?_

The merman groaned, "What now, Lilith?"

_Is that anyway to speak to your friend, Xavier?_

"When I agreed to be you're friend," Xavier was quite obviously unhappy, "I didn't realize that meant you could enter my head, whenever the fancy struck you!"

_Well, then, you should have asked. _

Xavier laughed out loud due to his frustration and fatigue.

_I forgot to mention something earlier, Xavier._

"Surprise, surprise," Xavier replied sarcastically.

_You only have three days to win back the girl's love, or you will die. You've wasted an entire day already!_

"What!" Xavier shout up from bed in a panic.

_I feel so bad, Xavier. I can't believe that ever slipped my mind._

Xavier buried his face in his hands. This was not going well at all. How could his plans have gone so terribly wrong? If Hali couldn't find it in her heart to forgive him soon, it would literally be the end.

"Goodnight, Lilith," Xavier snorted, flopping back down into bed.

_Goodnight? Oh, Xavier, my day is just beginning!_

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Oh no, Xavier! What have you gotten yourself into now? Does anyone out there believe that Lilith just honestly forgot to mention that last vital piece of information? Anyone?

So, today was kind of depressing. Strangely, at exactly eleven o'clock pm., the bar graph on my Story Stats page, stopped working. I tried to redownload Adobe Flash, but sadly, it doesn't work. Now, I am without bar graphs. Did this happen to anyone else. or is it just me? And if there is anyone out there who know how to fix it, I'd sure appreciate the help. Also, the batteries on this stupid wireless keyboard my brother purchased, ran out of juice in the middle of typing this chapter, so I had to change them midway. Ugh!

Again, my brother (different form the wireless keyboard brother, but the same as the _Ocean Heart_ hater brother) says my story is boring and stupid. Why does he hate me so?

Converse r life, you will be happy to know that Adelaide will appear in the next chapter.

It's a miracle, a true blue spectacle, a miracle come true,

xJadeRainx


	19. Chapter 19: Morning has Broken

The next morning, Hali woke up, feeling much better than she had, when she finally fell asleep. It's a wonder how a good night's rest, can rejuvenate a person. Yet, there was still the matter of Xavier's unexpected arrival in Atlantica. Hali needed to do something about that. The sooner he was gone, the better. She didn't need a distraction like him, not now anyway. As Hali stretched her arms over her head, one of Serene's stuffed animals toppled out of her bed. It wasn't Darwin, this time, but an adorable pink jellyfish, Serene had affectionately named Briony. Stealing a look over at Serene in the bed next to Hali, the Guardian discovered that the child was still sleeping peacefully, with Darwin resting gently on her chest. Hali smiled as she watched Darwin rise and fall on Serene's chest with each tiny breath. Angelic. That's the word that came to mind. Suddenly, Hali's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed her seaweed pillow was glowing. Hali was confused for a minute, but then she remembered that she had stashed the spell book underneath her pillow, the night before. It was her book, not the pillow that was glowing. Hali had never seen the book glowing so intensely, ever before.

Hali hastily threw the pillows, that were covering the book, off the great clam shell bed, and took up the book in her hands. The book's binding instantly flew open, to a blank page. By this time, Hali had become quite used to the routine, and waited for the words to scroll across the parchment.

_захоўваць, Часу застаецца ўсё менш.  
Знайсці зорка._

"I know, I know!" Hali cried at the inanimate object before her, "I'm working on it. Okay?"

The volume of Hali's voice must have been too loud, because Serene was woken from her tranquil slumber.

"Hali?" the young mermaid called out in confusion, "who are you yelling at?"

"Nothing, Serene," Hali said soothingly, "never mind that, and go back to sleep. You have tide school later today. Remember?"

"I don't want to go to tide school, with old Master Tortoise!" Serene complained.

"Is that you're teacher's name?" inquired Hali.

"No."

"Then, why did you call him Tortoise?" Hali was confused.

"We _all_ call him Tortoise," Serene explained intelligently, "because he _taught_ us!"

Hali chortled at the child's clever pun, "Why don't you want to go to tide school, Serene?"

"Because I can't take Darwin," the little mermaid whimpered, "Mommy won't let me."

"Tell you what," Hali bargained, "you go back to sleep now, and when it's time for you to go to school, I'll take care of Darwin all day. How does that sound?"

Hali was awaiting a reply, but she never got one. Little Serene had fallen asleep again. Hali rolled her eyes in amusement, and got out of bed. She hadn't yet, really had a chance to speak with her grandfather, and that was exactly what she intended to do now.

* * *

As Hali swam the length of one watery corridor, she bumped into her cousin, Cricket, the youngest of Attina's daughter. At seventeen, Cricket had grown into a lovely young woman, with blond hair, blue eyes, and an elegant baby blue tail. Attina had mentioned that Cricket had received calls from several suitors, but for one reason or another, had declined them all.

Cricket's best attributes, were the facts that she could see the good in anyone, no matter how frightful of a person he or she might be, yet still possessed a rebellious streak. Hali couldn't help but admire a rebellious streak that rivaled even her own.

Hali had herd rumors that some of the younger children, had been harboring ill will towards little Adelaide, after everything that had happened with Tiamat. It was Cricket who made her cousins see that they were treating innocent, little Adelaide unfairly, when each of their own mothers had failed. Yes, Cricket would be an excellent personification of the Ocean's Star.

"Hi Cricket," Hali began cheerfully, and craftily drooped her spell book to the floor, "oops."

"I'll get it Hali," offered Cricket, picking up the book.

Hali watched in hopeful anticipation, as Cricket swooped down to pick up the book. All at once, Hali's shoulder's sagged in dismay, as Cricket's touch had to effect on the book, at all.

"Thanks," said Hali as her cousin handed her back the book.

"You look disappointed," Cricket remarked, "Is it because that Xavier guy kissed Melody, and showed up in Sebastian's club?"

"How do you know about that, already?" Hali cried, scratching her head.

"I have ears, Hali," answered Cricket, "we_ all_ have ears..."

"Do you know where Grandpa is?" Hali asked quickly, cutting off her cousin.

"In the nursery, with Adelaide. Where he always is, this time of day."

"Okay," replied, "thanks again, Cricket."

With that, Hali speed down the length of the corridor heading towards the nursery.

* * *

Hali stopped at the door frame, not wanting to interrupt the moment. Inside the nursery, Hali could hear the gentle voice of King Triton singing a morning lullaby to little Adelaide.

_Oh, the waves roll low__,  
And the waves roll high,__  
And so it goes__  
Under the bright blue__  
Endless Sky__.  
Waves try to measure__  
The days that we treasure.  
Wave hello,  
And wave goodbye._

Hali took a covert peek inside, Adelaide was lying in her cradle, batting at her old father's long, white beard. It was a good thing, that merpeople had exceptionally long lifespans, that could last a good hundred years. Otherwise, Triton would never have the opportunity to see his little one grow into womanhood. Too bad Hali was half human. She was doomed to live a normal lifespan.

Hali rapped gently on the door frame, before entering the nursery.

"Good morning, Grandpa," Hali beamed, "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"Hali, darling," King Triton swept her into a tight hug, "I kept hearing that you were in the castle, but I never even saw your face, before now."

Hali blushed slightly, "Well, it's been a crazy twenty four hours, Grandpa."

"Say no more, Hali," the king picked up his Trident that had been leaning against the wall, "I know all about it. Would you like me to teach the little scoundrel a lesson?"

"No, Grandpa," shrieked Hali, "you don't have to hurt him!"

Suddenly, a bubbly gurgle was emitted from the general area for the cradle, and Adelaide's little head popped up.

"It looks as if someone wants to say hello to you," laughed King Triton.

Hali placed her book down on a nearby table, and immediately lifted Adelaide out of her cradle. The little merbaby gazed at her with deep violet eyes that seemed to ask, '_Hey! Who are you?_'

"Oh, Grandpa," Hali cooed, "she's beautiful."

"She's my little joy," the kind added proudly.

Hali smiled, King Triton was still the doting man he always was, even in his youth.

"Is she swimming, yet?" Hali asked.

"Not yet," her grandfather replied, "but she's trying."

As the princess stared down at her young, really young aunt, the baby started wiggling her little salmon colored tail, in an effort to escaped Hali's grip. Both Hali and her grandfather shared a good laugh, at Adelaide's expense.

"So, how are the other's treating Adelaide, Grandpa?" Hali asked in concern, "Tiamat really tore this family apart."

King Triton sighed heavily, "We're working to get passed all of that. Ambrosia had the hardest time adjusting to the fact, but Cricket helped the girl to see that Adelaida isn't evil at all. Not like..."

"You don't have to say her name, Grandpa," Hali interjected, "I know it's painful, for you, for me, for everyone."

The king placed a large gentle hand on Hali's shoulder, and offered a genuine smile.

"Why don't you put Adelaide down for a nap, for the time being," her grandfather began, "let's go meet the rest of the family for breakfast."

"Okay, Grandpa," Hali complied, as she gently placed Adelaide back into her cradle.

Then, King Triton gently ushered his granddaughter out of the nursery, and together, they made their way to the dining hall. Hali was so pleased with the quality time she had just spent with her grandfather, that she didn't even realize that she had left her spell book behind.

* * *

**Songs**

The song King Triton sings in this chapter is obviously Athena's Song, from the _Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning._ But, if you didn't know that, then you wouldn't be reading this right now, becasue you clearly wouldn't be a fan of _The Little Mermaid_.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Good news! My bar graphs are back. Oh, happy day!

There is a reference to Lewis Carroll's _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland _somewhere in this chapter. Did you spot it? I'll give you a clue. It's from the scene where Alice is speaking to the Mock Turtle and the Gryphon. Look to Hali and Serene for the clue. Good Luck! The prize is, well, a surprise. **The fist to post correctly is the winner**.

So, lets review. Hali is still searching for the Ocean's Star. We know the Star is not:

Jade, Merrick, Kelvin, Iris, Greta, Andrina, or Cricket. Any guesses as to who it might be?

Gotta keep one jump ahead of the breadline,

xJadeRainx

Converse r life, I hope this pleases you!


	20. Chapter 20: Banquet and Bedlam

Breakfast under the sea, was a circus as usual. Why wouldn't it be, when fifteen of King Triton's grandchildren were collected together at the breakfast table? Normally, the number was split evenly down the middle, seven boys and seven girls. The addition of Hali, however, estrogen had the advantage. Strangely, none of Hali's aunts, or their husbands were present at the table. Apparently, King Triton had requested to have a special breakfast with just his grandchildren. This was a very daring move on the king's part, becasue it was the children's mothers that typically kept them in line.

When the king and Hali finally entered the dining room, they had just stumbled upon a mermaid with lilac fins chasing merman with a tail emerald in color, around the large table. The merman was much stronger, and way to fast of a swimmer. The mermaid never stood a chance at catching him.

"I'm going to kill you, Leo!" the mermaid screamed, her blue eyes shooting electricity at her brother "just wait!"

Her brother simply did an acrobatic turn in the water, laughing hard, as he continues swimming around the table.

"Leomaris, Roxanna," King Triton bellowed, "stop this at once!"

Poor Roxanna, looked to be frightened, and the silly grin that Leomaris had been wearing, dissolved from his face, instantly.

"Sorry, Grandfather," Leomaris explained, lowering his head, as strands of light brown hair covered his matching brown eyes.

"It was his fault, Grandpa," Roxanna defended herself, "Leo put an electric eel on my chair, and when I sat, it shocked me."

Caspian, the genius scientist of the bunch, added, "water is an excellent conductor for electricity. One of Leo's finer pranks, if I do say so myself."

"Shut up, nerd!" screeched Roxanna!

"Well," Caspian pushed his glasses, that he didn't really need, up the bridge of his nose, "at least this nerd is mother's favorite!"

Roxanna, became angry pouncing on him, and starting tearing at Caspian's brown hair. Although a nerd, Caspian was not about to let his younger sister get the better of him. He swung his heavy viridian tail around, and Roxanna went sailing across the dining room.

"Enough!" Triton shouted again, "brothers and sisters do not fight!"

Finally, all the royal grandchildren had taken their places at the breakfast table, with their grandfather at the head. Each of them were staring down at their plates, knowing that even though the king had decreed that 'brothers and sisters do not fight', they believed otherwise. Even Hali believed otherwise.

"Now," the king began gently, "is it so hard, to have a nice, family breakfast with my grandchildren, before more than half of you go off to tide school?"

All of the young ones, excepting Caspian, groaned at the mention of tide school, but cheered up, as the servants brought in the breakfast. As much as Hali didn't care for merperson cuisine, she took solace in the fact that breakfast wasn't nearly as bad as the other meal courses. The children started stuffing their faces almost immediately. The faster they were done with this family time, the faster they could get back to their personal lives, before tide school started, and they were all at the mercy of boring. old master Tortoise.

"Hey," Ambrosia cried, "that was my, sand dollar pancake!"

"Oh well," her brother Aquarius spoke with his mouth full, "too slow."

That was the beginning of another sibling rivalry at the breakfast table, as the two started swatting at each other.

"I said enough," the King said angrily, "and Caspian, stop fiddling with that contraption!"

"But grandfather," Caspian responded, again pushing his glassed up his nose, "it's my new invention, inspired by your Trident. You can spear your food with it. Watch!"

Caspian demonstrated how his invention worked, by stabbing a large stack of sand dollar pancakes. Hali only needed to study her cousin's invention for a short while, before she realized that Caspian had just 'invented' the fork. But who was she, to spoil his fun?

Roden, having grown quite bored, had just flung a slice of fresh sea cucumber across the table at his brother Octavious, hitting the merboy in the left eye. Octavious, in turn flung several more pieces right back. This stated a full blown food fight. Hali quickly ducked beneath the table, to avoid being hit my flying perishables, but it seemed that she wasn't the only one with that idea. She was met under the table by Jade, Cricket, Serene, and of course Darwin. The four mermaids, and Darwin giggled at each other.

"Come on," laughed Hali, "let's get out of here."

* * *

Shortly after breakfast was abruptly ended, Hali realized that she was missing her book. That's when panic set in. Without that spell book she was lost. If the book was lost, then everyone was potentially doomed. Hali racked her brain in an effort to remember where she had left it last. Hali remembered waking up, and seeing the book glowing, with an intense golden light. Then she yelled at it and woke Serene form a peaceful sleep. Hali was hit with a wave of relief when she finally remembered where she had left the book.

"The nursery!" she cried to herself.

Hali swam back down the corridor in the direction of Adelaide's nursery, as fast as her chartreuse fins would carry her. In fact, Hali was swimming so quickly, that she glided right past the nursery door. So, she made a U-turn, and swam into the room. Cricket was already there feeding little Adelaide her mid-morning bottle. Hali offered a polite greeting to her cousin, and began her frantic search for the spell book.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Cricket asked, a look of confusion spread across her face.

"My book," answered Hali, gesturing with her hands "about this big,"

"I saw you with that earlier," nodded Cricket, "where was the last place you left it?"

"Right here," sighed Hali, "on this table. It's gone now."

"Hmm," Cricket mused, "I'm just about finished with Adelaide. I'll help you look for it."

Together, the two mermaids searched the nursery room, nearly turning it inside out. Their efforts went unrewarded.

"Where could it be?" Hali slapped her forehead, with the palm of her hand.

"Well," sighed cricket, "I think it's safe to say that it isn't in this room."

"Ugh," Hali groaned unhappily.

"But," Cricket added quickly, "it couldn't have gotten up and swam away by it's own accord."

While Hali contemplated if maybe her spell book, could indeed swim away, Cricket continued.

"I bet one of the kids took it. Let's go see."

Hali and Cricket checked room after room, searching for any mischievous little merchildren, hiding about. They found room after room empty. Just as Hali was beginning to feel downhearted, they heard soft giggles coming from a nearby corridor. The girls immediately swam in that direction. When they finally reached the corridor, neither Hali nor Cricket could see a single soul, but the giggles remained. Hali very much doubted that the castle was haunted by ghosts. So, by process of elimination, that meant some troublesome merchildren were hiding out in the corridor, somewhere. Then she spotted it, two pairs of fins hiding behind a large, blade of potted kelp.

"You have to get it open, Roden," the voice belonged to Octavious, "I bet there's some really juicy stuff written in there!"

"Be quiet, Octavious." ordered Roden, "I'm trying. This thing won't budge!"

Hali causally pushed aside the blade of kelp, and stared down at the two boys, glaring at them. She was happy to see that neither Octavious or Roden activated the spell book. They were still far to immature.

"I'll take that back, boys," growled Hali.

"Octavious gave a impish smile, and laughed, "you have to catch us first!"

With that, the boys sped down the corridor, flicking their fins furiously, unwilling to relinquish their new treasure. Hali and Cricket stopped a minute to stare at each other in disbelief.

"Let's get 'em!" roared Cricket, as she started to race after them.

Hali only laughed, as she followed her cousin's lead.

They boy's were quick, and knew their way around the castle. Needless to say, it wasn't easy getting a hold of them, but finally, the girls had chased them into a corner. Roden and Octavious were trapped, and the mermaids took advantage of the opportunity. Hali tackled Roden, and Cricket did the same to Octavious. Thus, the struggle for Hali's property began. The tussle lasted for some time, when Aquata, the boys' mother stumbled upon the scene.

"What's going on here?" Aquata demanded crossing her arms, and twisting her face, the way all mothers seemed to do.

"They attacked us," Octavious whimpered convincingly.

"Really?" Aquata clicked her tongue, "I don't think Hali and Cricket would do that, without good reason."

This is when Cricket chimed in, "The little tadpoles stole Hali's diary!"

Aquata was outraged. The whole situation brought up memories from long ago, when Arista would take her belongings without permission, and sometimes leisurely flipping through the pages of _her_ diary. Just the thought of her two boys, doing something like that, made her blood boil. Aquata angrily snatched the book, from Roden's hands, and returned it back to Hali. The book remained shut, just as it had with her sons.

"Here you go, dear," Aquata told Hali, "I'm so sorry. I'll have to have a talk with those two,_ after_ tide school."

Aquata delivered a menacing glare, and they merboys received her message loud and clear. Roden and Octavious dismally swan back to their room, to get ready for school. Aquata followed after them, just to make sure. When all three were out of sight, Hali sighed in semi-relief. The search for the Star, was no down by another three people.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Wow! Triton's Castle sure is a busy place to live. Hali can also cross Roden, Octavious, and Aquata, off her list. That leaves a total of eleven possible candidates for the Ocean's Star. Keep reading!

Okay, now each of Hali's cousin's have been mentioned at least by name. Only, I think I bit off a little bit more than I could chew with all these characters. So I'm going to describe them here, so I won't feel like I have to write it into the story. That might be a little bit distracting. Remember, for thier ages, and mothers, refer back to chapter one: Cousins by the Dozen. This will be yet another page for you to reference.

Merrick: A very serious merman, who is protective over his family. Merrick has brown hair, blue eyes, and a cerulean tail.

Jade: Is wise and crafty. Jade has black hair, green eyes, and a midnight blue tail.

Cricket: A mermaid who can see the good in everybody, even though she has a rebellious streak. Cricket has blond hair, blue eyes, and a baby blue tail.

Leomaris: The prankster. Leo had brown hari, brown eyes, and an emerald tail.

Caspian: The genius. Caspain has brown hair, blue eyes, and a viridian tail.

Roxanna: An early riser. Roxanna has blond hair, blue eyes, and a lilac tail.

Roden: A typically quite merboy, who often gets into trouble with his brother Octavious. Roden has brown hair, green eyes, and a burnt orange tail.

Octavious: King Triton's eighth grandchild. Octivious has Blond hair, blue eyes, and a burgundy tail.

Aquarius: An athletic merboy. Aquarius has blond hair, green eyes, and an olive green tail.

Ambrosia: A mermaid with a hot temper. Ambrosia has red hair, aquamarine eyes, and a turquoise tail.

Greta: One of the younger cousins. Greta has brown hair, brown eyes, and an pearly white tail.

Iris: Another young mermaid. Iris has brown hair, blue eyes, and a multicolored scales that make up her tail. (the only known mermaid to have ever been born with this feature.)

Kelvin: Hates to be called little boy. He is Serene's older brother. Kelvin has black hair, blue eyes, and a sapphire tail.

Serene: The youngest of Hali's cousins. She is cute and innocent. Loves Darwin, her stuffed seahorse. Serene has blond hair, brown eyes, and a ruby tail.

Gonna take a sentimental journey,

xJadeRainx

**Also**: I think I read about tide school on some other fanfiction. I just don't remember who or where. So, if you're out there, thanks for the idea!


	21. Chapter 21: She Won't Dance

Later that evening, Hali sat alone, on her great clam shell bed, in Triton's guest. She had the book lying open in the palms, starting down at the parchment. Again, the book had stated glowing, and the Ancient Atlantican Script, spontaneously scrolled across the pages of her spell book.

Зорка ёсць вочы  
Кинер чым многія іншыя.

"The star has eyes keener than most," Hali read in bewilderment, "what's that supposed to mean."

The Guardian angrily slammed the book shut, and tossed it aside. Hali hadn't the slightest idea, what the book was trying to tell her. She supposed it was some sort of clue, to aid her in the search of the Ocean's Star, but the message was vague, at best. Why is it that magical items always seemed to talk in riddles? It simply wasn't fair. As Hali lied in bed pondering what her spell book had just finished telling her, there came a soft knock at the door.

"You don't have to knock, Serene," Hali called, "it's your room too."

The merperson behind the door, entered the room. It wasn't Serene, with Darwin trailing behind, but Jade.

"I'm not Serene," Jade smiled, "but I hope that doesn't disappoint you."

"Oh, no. Not at all," Hali replied, sitting up from bed, "what's up, Jade."

"Oh nothing..."

Hali stared at her cousin suspiciously, seeing as how Jade's sentence just unexpectedly trailed off.

"Really?" Hali's eyes narrowed, "nothing at all?"

Jade just continued smiling, and said, "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to..."

"Wanted to what?" demanded Hali.

"Go to a concert with me, later."

"A concert?" Hali perked up a bit, "Who's playing?"

"Dizzy Crustacy," answered Jade.

"Dizzy Crustacy?" Hali crinkled her nose, "I've never heard of him, before."

"Well, you know," Jade said teasingly, "the band Manatees of Mayhem is opening for him."

"Really?" Hali began excitedly, "I love the Manatees of Mayhem!"

"I know you do," Jade smiled, "who doesn't? They're the best band Atlantica has ever produced, besides, the lead singer is a total babe."

"Wait a minute," Hali glared at her cousin, "where is this concert being held? The Catfish Cabana?"

"No," Jade lied, "they're playing at the neighboring kingdom, Olympia. It's Prince Gunther's eighteenth birthday party or something. He's invited anyone who's anyone, and we, my dear cousin, definitely fit that description."

* * *

Hali was fuming when she found out that Jade had lied to her and dragged her over to the Catfish Cabana. Hali was even more upset to discover that Dizzy Crustacy, and was only Sebastian's stage name, and that Manatees of Mayhem were nowhere in sight. The miffed little mermaid, sat at their table, arms crossed, and refusing to speak or make eye contact with her horrible cousin.

"You should at lest talk to him, Hali," Jade sighed.

"No," cried Hali, turning up her cute little nose.

"Hali," Jade used a sing song voice, "you're just being stubborn."

"No, I'm not!" challenged Hali.

"I think you just proved my point, coz."

"I can't believe you lied about the Manatees of Mayhem," Hali whined, and pouted simultaneously.

"Hali, I'm warning you," Jade sounded like her mother, "you'd better shake yourself out of this awful mood, or else."

"Or else, what?" Hali spat, shaking her head defiantly.

Jade didn't answer her depressed, belligerent cousin in words, but forced her out onto the dance floor.

"Hey, look!" Hali pointed into a crowd of merpeople.

"What?" Jade asked, as she turned to look, "I don't see anything out of the ordinary."

Hali shook her head clear, and blinked her eyes, "Never mind. I thought I just saw Cricket, for real this time."

Jade frowned at her cousin, "Stop making excuses and just dance with me!"

Hali was in no mood to dance, but the sound of the loud music, and it's loud, exultant beat, soon changed her mind. Before long, Hali was dancing, and laughing with Jade at her side. Then all of a sudden, the song changed, to softer beat, a ballad, and Hali could feel her happiness start to slip back into darkness. She didn't even know how it happened. One minute she was right beside Jade, and the next minute, Hali was in Xavier's tight embrace. It all happened so fast! Somehow or other, Jade had planned the entire thing.

"Hali," whispered Xavier, still holding her close, "we need to talk, please."

"N-no," Hali faltered, for she could feel the beating of Xavier's heart against her chest.

She remembered that feeling, all too well.

"Then, just dance with me," Xavier pleaded.

Xavier wanted to dance? Hali was in complete shock. Sometimes, Hali didn't understand why certain things tended to slip out of her mouth, but she couldn't control herself.

_I won't dance, don't ask me.  
I won't dance, don't ask me.  
I won't dance, monsieur, with you.  
My heart won't let my fins do things they should do._

_You know what, you're handsome.  
And so what? You're handsome.  
And oh, what you do to me.  
I'm like an ocean wave that's bumped on the shore.  
I feel so absolutely stumped on the floor._

_And that's why,  
I won't dance, why should I?  
I won't dance, how could I?  
I won't dance, merci beaucoup.  
I know that music leads the way to romance,  
So if I hold you in arms I won't dance._

Xavier tried to kiss her, but Hali swam out of his arms, so quickly, it made his head spin. He would have chased after her, but his broken heart prevented him.

* * *

Xavier sighed, as he made his way to the room he was renting from Sebastian. He felt like a dead man swimming. If Hali wouldn't forgive him within the next twenty-four hours, his life would expire. Lilith would make sure of that. Some kind of friend, she turned out to be. Xavier turned the knob of the modest door leading to his room, and to his surprise a bubbly little mermaid popped up from behind his bead. Xavier gave a loud shriek in his shock.

"Hi!" the mermaid with the baby blue tail called out to him, "my name's Cricket!"

'There's a girl in my room!' Xavier thought to himself in panic, 'why is there a girl in my room?'

"Who are you?" Xavier finally brought himself to ask.

"I'm Hali's cousin," the mermaid explained, "and I'm here..."

"Stop, right there," Xavier ordered, gesturing towards the door, "I've been having more than my fair share of uncomfortable run ins with Hali's cousins. Someone named Merrick threatened me with bodily harm, and another merman named Leo told me that Atlanticans use sand as currency... let's just say that a very angry shopkeeper wanted to throw my fins in jail. So, you can just turn around and leave, thank you."

"Oh," the mermaid giggled, "Merrick's my big brother, and Leo is my cousin. They're so cute!"

Xavier again pointed to the door, "Leave!"

"Not until you hear what I have to say, first!" the young girl was adamant.

"Fine," Xavier sighed, throwing his arms up in the air, "what was you're name again?"

"Cricket."

Xavier scratched his head, "That's an unusual name for a mermaid."

"It's an interesting story, really. Would you like to hear it?"

"Not particularly," Xavier said crossing his arms.

Cricket ignored him, and continued with her story, "One day, my mother was visiting my Aunt Ariel at the surface, it happened to be nighttime, and mother head a strange noise. 'What's that noise, Ariel?' my mother asked. 'Oh, those are crickets, Attina,' Aunt Ariel explained. 'What are crickets?' my mother inquired again. 'Crickets are land insects, that create beautiful music in the black of night,' said Aunt Ariel. Shortly after, I was born, and my mother named me Cricket! She said that she really loved the sound..."

"That's a wonderful story," Xavier began hastily, "but if you don't mind getting to the point..."

Cricket glared at Xavier, "You can put on that tough guy act, if you want, but I can see right through you. I know that deep down inside you're a gentle soul, who is depressed and really wants his girlfriend back. Well, that girlfriend is _my_ cousin, and I can help you. But, if you want to be rude about it, maybe I _should_ just leave."

Cricket turned in a hurry, swimming towards the door.

As Xavier swatted the collection of tiny air bubbles, that strategically hit him in the face, he called out to her.

"Wait!"

Cricket smiled, and then turned to face Xavier again, "Yes?"

"Do you think that you can help Hali to forgive me before sundown tomorrow," Xavier paused for a moment, "it's extremely important."

"If I can't" grinned the mermaid, "than my name isn't Cricket! Here's the plan..."

Cricket cupped her hand to Xavier's ear, and began to whisper the first few steps of her master plan.

"What!" shrieked Xavier.

"Shut up and listen," commanded Cricket.

"That's never going to work," Xavier ran his fingers though his sandy hair.

Cricket only smiled at him, and said, "I'll make sure the secret passage is left open tonight."

* * *

**Song**

The song featured in this chapter, is called I Won't Dance. The music was composed by Jerome Kern, and the lyrics were written by Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach in 1934. Various artists perform this song. Of course, I recommended the classy Ella Fitzgerald, and the great Frank Sinatra. You simply need to check out the rendition of Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog, on youtube.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

For those of you who were wondering why, Cricket has such an unusual name, here it is! Cricket is named after the insect, and modeled after our very own PrincessCricket! She won a contest, you see.

So, does Xavier have any hope of Hali forgiving before it's too late? If not, then Sam will be one happy man, huh?

I remember an episode of the Little Mermaid T.V. series, where someone called Sebastian, Dizzy Crustacy (SP?). Which I believe is a play on words, referencing the jazz trumpeter, Dizzy Gillespie. If anyone else remembers that episode, let me know.

Also, my boyfriend has been bugging me to write a story about a character named the Manatee of Mayhem, who needs to find a friend, to cure his diabetes. I was like, um... no. So, I added the band Manatees of Mayhem to placate him. For any of you who are wondering, my boyfriend is charming, and irresistibly sexy. His words, not mine.

Here comes Suzy Snowflake,

xJadeRainx


	22. Chapter 22: Castle Breach

That night, Hali was awoken, by a soft kiss to the forehead. Still half asleep, Hali opened one blurry eye, only to see the figure of a muscular merman hovering over her. The first thought to cross Hali's mind, was that she should scream, loud, to alert the guards, to alert anyone. In fact, she opened her mouth to do just that, when the merman hastily covered her mouth.

"Shhh, Hali, it's me."

After having his hand, firm, but gently across Hali's lips, for several minutes, he removed it, altogether, but only after he was certain that she wasn't going to scream.

"Xavier," whispered Hali, "what are you doing here?"

"I told you, that we needed to talk, Hali," he answered.

Nighttime, under the sea, is exceedingly dark, so Hali has difficulty making out Xavier's features, despite him being a mere, few inches away from her face.

"How did you get in here?" Hali interrogated, "Grandpa's doubled up on guards, ever since Tiamat..."

Xavier moved to sit at the edge of Hali's clam shell bed, which was exceedingly more comfortable, than the bed in his apartment room.

"Get off my bed," Hali hissed defensively.

Xavier rose immediately. He needed to tread carefully around Hali, right now.

"Okay, okay," Xavier said apologetically.

"How did you get in here?" Hali asked again.

"Your cousin, Cricket helped me."

Hali raided an eyebrow, although she was unsure that Xavier would even be able to see that gesture.

"Cricket?" Hali began in disbelief, "what could Cricket possibly have done to help you?"

Xavier frowned. So far, this meeting was not going according to plan, not at all.

Sighing, he replied, "She gave me instructions to a secret passage leading to the castle."

"A secret passage?" Hali laughed, "are you pulling my tail?"

"No!" Xavier said a little too loudly, because his voice caused Serene to stir.

Both Hali and Xavier held their breath in anticipation, but Serene only turned over, and let out a few sleepy murmurs. The mermaid child was still sleeping peacefully.

If Hali thought it would do any good, she would have glared at Xavier, but with it being so dark, she let it go.

"Quiet," she warned.

"Anyway, the passage was an uncomfortably tight squeeze, and led to these massive underwater catacombs, right below this castle. By the looks of it, they haven't been used in ages, except by Cricket I guess."

Hali contemplated whether she should let her Aunt Attina know about this secret passageway that allows Cricket escape the castle at will. Hali decided against it, because she remembered how she used to sneak out of her fathers palace when she was Cricket's age. In fact, she was still sneaking out, at times.

"Go on," Hali urged.

Xavier noted how Hali's voice was lacking hostility. That much was encouraging at least.

"W-well," Xavier faltered, he wasn't expecting Hali to sound so...inviting, "the underwater catacombs were probably the most dreadful place, I've ever been in before. They were dark, and musty, and I ran into some horrible sea serpent down there. It was hideous."

"A sea serpent?" scoffed Hali, "what did it look like?"

Xavier's heart sunk, the hostility in Hali's voice had returned.

Xavier flexed his jaw a few times, before answering, "It had a tapering, ribbony, silver body, with one long dorsal fin, pink in color, running the length of its entire body."

Hali and Xavier gave a collective jump, when a small voice chimed in, "That wasn't a sea serpent. It was an oarfish."

Somehow, neither of the adults noticed Serene wake, and quietly sneak into Hali's bed.

"Serene," Hali admonished, "you get, right back in bed."

"Don't have to," the mergirl challenged, "tomorrow's Saturday. That means no tide school!"

"Serene," Hali began, before the half pint cut her off.

"You don't need to be afraid of an oarfish," Serene added wisely, while ignoring Hali's order altogether, "they don't eat merfolk... just zooplankton, small shell fish, and sometimes jelly fish. Master Tortoise said so."

"Thank you for the marine biology lesson, Serene," Hali suppressed a giggle, "now back off to bed, with you."

"You know what?" Serene cried, bouncing up and down on the clam shell bed, "Darwin doesn't think _he's_ a merman at all, and neither do I."

"What?" Hali questioned.

"Everyone knows that oarfish are harmless," she said swimming up to Xavier, and poking at his chest, "maybe a _human_, wouldn't know, though."

"A human!" Hali shriked, "you very well know, that human's can't breath under water, and, Xa... I mean this _merman_, obviously has a tail..."

"_You're_ a human," the mermaid challenged again.

"No, I'm only _half_ human," Hali explained, "that makes me special."

"What kind of name is Xa, anyway?" Serene demanded, still poking at Xavier.

Why was Xavier suddenly finding himself intimidated by a small child?

"Serene!" Hali chastised, "that's rude."

However, the girl was undeterred, "Hali, what was the name of the dumb boy who broke your heart?"

Hali was left with her mouth hanging wide open. This little mermaid, was a smart one. Andrina would have her work cut out for her, when Serene became a teenager.

"Serene, I'm being serious when I say, get back to bed."

"Oh, I remember, now," the mermaid grumbled, "this is Xavier. Isn't he? I'm not stupid. I'm ganna tell grandpa, that you brought a boy into the castle, now."

"No, Serene, please," Hali couldn't believe that she was pleading with a six year old.

Without warning, Hali's spell book, laying flat on a nearby nightstand, began to glow, blazing so intensely, it illuminated more than half of the room. The most foreboding, though, was the fact, that the book's binding swung open, without Hali ever touching it. Hali, Xavier and Serene all blinked simultaneously at the blinding light source. Hali quickly swam over to the nightstand, in order to read it's message.

"Hali, why is you're diary glowing?" Serene asked confused.

"Hush, Serene," Hali regretted that she had sounded so gruff with the child.

Захоўваць,  
Вы працуеце  
з час.

"Keeper, you are running out of time," Hali translated more to herself than anyone else.

"So am I," Xavier mumbled out of his breath.

"What?" Hali's eyes narrowed, as she cocked her head to the left.

"I'm getting grandpa, right now," Serene began to whimper.

Hali scoped up the child, and placed her back into her own bed, "It's just a dream, Serene. You're dreaming."

The Guardian held her cousin down, and the Serene struggled for a moment or two, but she soon fell asleep, apparently all tuckered out.

"Maybe you should go now, Xavier," Hali frowned, her spell book still lighting up the room.

"We really need to talk, Hali, please," Xavier's voice was desperate, but just above a whisper.

"We will. I promise," began Hali, "meet me in the market, tomorrow, at noon."

Oh, Hali..." Xavier breathed.

"Go," Hali said gently, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Xavier flashed the best smile he could offer. Noon, was cutting it a little close. Hali could be very stubborn when she wanted to, and if me met her at noon, that only left another twelve hours for her to forgive him. He shuddered at the thought, but really, what else could he do? Xavier turned around solemnly to leave, knowing full well, he'd have to escape the same way he had came. He silently prayed that the horrible orafish was gone. Xavier didn't care too much for the creature.

"Xavier, wait," Hali's voice was also whisper soft.

Xavier spun, to face her, though he didn't utter a single word. It was a good thing, he supposed, because Hali planted a kiss directly on his stunned lips.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Things are looking up for Xavier!

I was going to start this chapter back on the surface, to give you fine readers, a glimpse of what's happening in Shireland. Only, I didn't feel like it fit the time line very well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I sort of don't like it, myself...

I remember all my life, raining down as cold as ice,

xJadeRainx


	23. Chapter 23: Strategy

Sam made an aggravated noise as he watched his incompetent crew work on the _Leviathan's_ repairs. He had half a mind, to sail away, and leave them all behind, Piper too, if he didn't stop annoying the captain soon. Then, Sam sighed, remembering that he couldn't possibly set sail, with or without his crew, because his ship wasn't sea worthy. It gave the captain chills to think, that the vessel might never be sea worthy again.

"Spider!" Sam hollered, "Spider, that's not how you mend a sail. Who ever taught you how to do it that way?"

The captain stomped up the ramp, leading to the _Leviathan's_ deck, heading directly to where poor little Spider sat, cross legged, and working on the sail.

"I never did this before, Captain," the little boy said rather annoyed.

"Do you see this?" Sam snatched the sail form the boy's hands, and poked his finger through a small opening, "this is called a hole. A sail can't catch the wind, with even the smallest hole, and if the sail can't catch wind, then our ship can't sail away. Take it apart, and do it again. It's time you start learning the proper techniques."

Sam tossed the sail away forom him in disgust, the torn material landed on Spider, covering the boy from head to toe. Finally, Spider managed to struggle his way out of the sail.

"Why don't you do it, then," Spider sneered.

Sam's body went rigid for a moment, but then he picked Spider up, by the scruff of his shirt neck.

"Because I'm the captain, Squirt," Sam said angrily, "I don't have to anymore."

Fortunately, Piper walked by at the moment, and freed the poor boy form Sam's fit of rage.

"Go find something to do, below deck, Spider," Piper suggested.

The boy was only too happy to oblige, and he soon scampered away.

"You don't have to be so hard on him, Sam," informed Piper.

Salty Sam wiped a calloused hand down his face, as if to wipe away his shame, and guilt.

"I know," Sam shook his head, "at least it's a lesson, for him to start standing up for himself. I heard Mullet say something about Squeak picking on him. Squeak is a good foot shorter than Spider."

"Okay, Salty," Piper sighed, "what's really the problem, here?"

Sam only leaned over the side of the ship and stared into the green ocean. Piper wasn't going anywhere, until the captain satisfied him with an answer. When Sam finally realized that Piper was going to be stubborn, and stand beside him, all day, he acknowledged the first mate.

"I'm just frustrated, Piper," began Sam, "I only want to get the _Leviathan_ all fixed up, so that we can go on our merry way, and leave this awful country behind us."

"Leave this awful country behind us," Piper repeated thoughtfully, "Do you think I'm stupid, Salty?"

"No," Sam's gaze was still fixed on the glassy green sea.

"Then do you think, that after all these years, that I can't read you like a book?"

Sam only replied with a curt snort, his gaze never lifting from the sea green water.

"You want to sail away, and leave the awful redhead behind," Piper continued, "what was her name again, Lorelei?"

Sam chucked to himself, sarcastically, "Yeah, something like that."

"I mean, she's cute, but still..."

Piper was interrupted by the sound of Sam's groan of despair.

"Go take a walk, Sam, " ordered Piper, "Come back when you've pulled yourself together."

* * *

It really was a nice day. The sky was a cloudless blue, and the golden sun, was sharing it's warm, friendly glow with humanity. Sam remembered reading somewhere, that sunshine was supposed to be a remedy for depression. He supposed it was a load of bull, though, seeing as it failed to improve his mood, even the slightest bit. Was Piper right? Even if they manged to repair the _Oak Leviathan_, and sailed away from Shireland, would he ever be able to leave Hali behind, or would thoughts of her, forever plague his brain? Sam desperately felt like he needed to smoke something, but he didn't have any tobacco on him. He did however, have a few bronze coins in his pocket, and that could buy him a drink or two at Garvey's Pub. Without even stopping, Sam spun around on his heels, and started in the direction of Garvey's Pub. The captain walked staring down at his boots, lost deep in thought, when he bumped into a large man, with an even larger man at his side.

"Are you Captain Sam Bennett, of the _Oak Leviathan_?" the largest of the men asked.

"Depends on who's asking," Sam grinned.

The two large men, seemed in no mood for games, and they both crossed their arms menacingly.

"I'm Warren," the largest man spoke, "and this is Greer. We are of the King's Guards."

Sam scratched is chin for a moment, "Sam Bennett, you say? Sorry, never heard of him."

The sailor pushed passed the guards, and continued his journey to Garvey's Pub. All Sam really wanted to do, right now, was get drunk, blissfully drunk. Only, the guards would not let the poor man escape.

"By order of the king," Warren growled, "you are to come with us."

"Seeing as I'm not a citizen of Shireland," Sam growled back, "I don't feel the need to comply."

Apparently, the two brutes standing before him, didn't seem to care very much about Sam's defiant behavior. Each man simply grabbed hold of one of Sam's arms, and began to carry him away. The captain might have struggled, but the combined bulk of the guards, put him at a disadvantage. Now, Sam was very handy in a fight, but he wasn't a moron.

When they reached the palace, the guards allowed Sam to walk on his own two feet. Warren and Greer handled the sailor rather gruffly, pushing him onwards, with unnecessary force. The sound of the set of three footsteps, echoed on the black and white tiled floor of the throne room. The king was seated proudly, and prominently on his regal throne, however, his lovely queen, resembling Hali was, absent. Sam wasn't an easy man to intimidate, but he felt uneasy in the presence of Shireland's king. He couldn't remember doing anything illegal, as of late, so Sam had no idea what Hali's father wanted with him. The captain racked his brain, trying to remember what he might have done in the last two days or so, to get him in trouble with the king. He came up short.

"Did your wife finally leave you, My Grace," Sam snickered.

"Not that it's any of you're business, sailor," Eric seethingly replied, "but the queen is attending to family matters at the moment."

Sam shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "What is it that you want form my, Your Highness?"

Eric gripped the arms of his throne tightly. He couldn't believe that he was about to grovel at this deadbeat's feet. The king tried to move his lips, but the words seemed to be having difficulty finding their way out.

"I need you're help," Eric finally let slip, through gritted teeth.

"Dost mine ears deceive me?" Sam grinned, cleaning out his ears, "the proud king is requesting help from this humble sailor?"

"It will do you a world of good, to wipe that smug look from your face, sailor," Eric barked.

"Captain, it's captain," corrected Sam indignantly, "you know, as a king, one might think that you have more sense than to speak rudely to someone, especially if you're in want of a favor..."

"That's enough," Eric waved his hand, "be quite and listen. Hard Hearted Hannah and her crew have recently been spotted just off the eastern coast of Shireland."

"So?"

"I had two of my most heavily weaponed ships, attempt to capture Hannah before she reached our shore," Eric wiped his and down his chin, "somehow, she managed to sink _both_ of my ships."

"And what does any of this have to do with me?" Sam asked.

"I have heard that you know this Hard Hearted Hannah personally," replied the king.

"No," Sam shook his head furiously, "I don't know her. Not any more. I barely even recognize her."

"I need your help," Eric repeated, "If you could only help us to devise a plan..."

"No," Sam said curtly, "you have navy officers to do that, and a whole armada of ships at your disposal. You don't need me. Good day, Your Majesty."

Sam turned to leave in a hurry, but the two guards drew their weapons, each crossing their swords, and blocking Sam's exit.

"Allow him to pass," Eric ordered with a sigh.

The guards immediately put down their weapons, and Sam walked the length of the throne room. Just as Sam reached to the doorway, the king called out to him.

"Would you do it for Hali?" pleaded Eric.

Sam froze, and let out a heavy breath, slamming his hand loudly against the door frame.

Turning, Sam sighed, "What time was it exactly, when Hannah sunk your ships?"

"About eight o'clock in the morning," answered Eric.

"What time is it now?"

"A quarter to ten," Warren informed.

Sam rubbed his forehead, with the palm of his hand, "The wind is blowing southerly, this morning. That, unfortunately, works to Hannah's advantage. I'd estimate that her ship should be landing within the hour."

"Thank you," Eric said earnestly, "how do you think we should handle this?"

"Let me have a map," Sam demanded.

Greer produced a map, almost instantly, and handed it to Sam. The captain unfolded the map. It was a little on the wrinkly side, but it would do nicely.

"Can you indicate on the map, the location where your ships went down?" questioned Sam.

The king pointed to the general area, and Sam marked it with a large black 'X'. He regarded the map for a moment, and then he drew a circle a few inches beneath the 'X'.

"This is where the _Misery_, is likely to be at the moment," Sam explained, pointing to the newly drawn circle, "are you following, Your Highness?"

Eric had to suppress the urge to insult the child. Honestly, he was no swabbie. Eric had been sailing on the open sea, while this boy was still in diapers. Funny, how these youths believe themselves to be men. Eric couldn't blame the lad though, when he was that age, he also fancied himself a man.

Ignoring these petty feelings, Eric simply replied, "Yes."

"Good," Sam acknowledged, still studying the map, then drawing a series of dotted lines, he said, "if you follow this course, exactly, you should be able to take Hannah by Surprise. Send at least five ships, and if I were you, Your Majesty, I'd be on one of them."

"And you will be," Eric smiled in an attempt to look friendly.

"I'm sorry?" Sam said through raised eyebrows.

"You're coming with us," explained the king, "and that's an order."

* * *

**Ultr****a Special Blah Blah Blah**

Oh my gosh, I just LOVE this chapter. What about you? Wasn't it cute, how Sam refused to help Eric, until Eric played the Hali card, and then Sam was like, "Well, alright." I wonder what Hali would say if she only knew that her father and Sam, were actually getting along civilly?

I know you all want to know what's going to happen between Hali and Xavier, right now, but I thought it was important to show you what's happening currently on the surface. And what kind of urgent family matters could Ariel be dealing with at the moment? Hmm... Wouldn't _you_ like to know?

The summer wind, came blowing in from across the sea,

xJadeRainx


	24. Chapter 24: A Child's Tears

Once again, Hali awakened to the semi-unexpected sight of her glowing spell book. With each occurrence, Hali's book began to glow more intensely. It became clear to her, that she wasn't going to be able to hide the search form her family for much longer. Hali inwardly dreaded the day she would have to come clean. Oh, well. The Guardian resolved to take up her issue with her grandfather and Aunt Attina, before anyone else. Hali brushed her fingers lightly against the bumpy surface of the spell book, and it immediately flew open to a blank page. Hali read in confusion, as the book's mystic message scrolled across the parchment.

Зоркі відаць  
Што ўсе астатнія  
Не бачыць.

"The Star can see what all others fail to see," Hali read aloud, "Great! I still have now idea what that means. Do you have any other clues, you stupid book?"

Apparently the spell book was listening to her every word.

Зоркi выглядае  
За звычайнай справай.

"The Star looks beyond the mundane," Hali shut the book, angrily, and shoved it under her pillow, "Thanks! That really clarified things for me."

Hali shook her head, in an effort to force out her frustrations. However, the action didn't help, whatsoever. She quickly stole a glance at the tide dial, laying proudly on a nearby nightstand. Hali estimated the time to be about ten o'clock, which meant she was late for brunch with the family. Hali needed to get to the dining hall, as quickly as possible, or risk upsetting her grandfather. Then Hali remembered, that she had promised to meet Xavier at the market in two hours. She didn't feel much like going, this morning, however. Hali found herself wondering what might happen if she stood him up. It wasn't like he was going to die, or something undeniably awful, like that.

* * *

Hali was the last to arrive at the brunch table, and she noted how most of her cousins' directed evil glares at her. Hali assumed, that King Triton had refused to let anyone eat, until she finally decided to show up. As soon as Hali took her seat, the table sprung into action, each of her cousin's scrambling to get their pick of the best food. Feeding time, at the castle, was like survival of the fittest.

The selection of delicacies this morning, was a pitcher of a _delicious_ seaweed smoothie, sliced sea cucumber finger sandwiches, and for the little ones, their favorite cereal, Kelp Krunchies. Hali forced a polite smile, as she daintily picked a sea cumber sandwich off the sterling silver platter.

"So, Hali" Cricket began with a playful smile, "how did you sleep last night."

Hali glared at her cousin in annoyance, but answered, anyway, "Fine, thank you."

"Well,_ I_ didn't," Serene sulked, pushing moodily at her bowl of Kelp Krunchies, that turned the whale milk green, "I had a really weird dream."

Hali's body went rigid, instantly, and even her heart seemed to freeze mid beat in her chest. Serene was a smart girl. Surely she wouldn't have fallen for Hali's terrible lie.

"What kind of dream, dear?" Andrina asked with concern, "was it a nightmare?"

"Kind of," sighed Serene, who was still playing with her cereal.

"Tell us about it, dear," Andrina said as she glanced up at her husband.

"I dreamed about merfolk who looked just like Tiamat. There were three merman in my dream."

Hali wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but she couldn't. The abominable ice queen, was causing her sweet, little Serene to have nightmares. If the witch wasn't already dead, Hali would have strangled her.

"Was that all, or was there more?" Andrina asked her worry being made more evident with each word.

At this point, Serene started to sniffle, "I dreamed that they took Adelaide away. They stole her right out of her cradle!"

Having finally said her piece, Serene hastily swam off to some far corner of Triton's castle. The mermaid was so quick to leave, that Darwin remained on the table, face down in a bowl of soggy Kelp Krunchies. Andrina and her husband, swam off to find where her daughter disappeared to, and King Triton decided to check on the sleeping Adelaide. The rest of the merfolk sat at the table in silence, staring at one another, concern and confusion etched on all their faces.

Finally, Attina spoke, "Brunch is over. You are all excused."

* * *

Andrina had grown hysterically panicked, when she was unable to locate Serene anywhere. The entire family had pitched in, all searching for the little mergirl. After looking for an hour, Hali suspected that Serene wasn't it the castle at all. The guardian ran her fingers through her fiery hair, trying to think of a place, Serene would have likely swam off to. Then Hali remembered how Serene loved to play with the little fish, that lived inside and around the coral reef. That was only about a ten minute swim from the castle. Hali grabbed Darwin, who was still floating around in the cereal bowl, and immediately set off in the direction of the coral reef.

Hali let out a long breath, when she caught sight of the girl, sitting solemnly on the pink and orange coral, watching the playful fish swim to and fro. Serene looked so adult, as her brown eyes were lost deep in thought. The whole scene broke Hali's heart. She only wanted to see her little cousin happy and innocent again.

"Serene!" Hali called out, "there you are."

The blond mermaid looked up, and when she saw it was Hali, she quickly got up from the coral reef, and swam towards Hali. Serene's ruby tail pushed through the water, quickly, and the girl swam directly into Hali's open arms.

"Everyone is worried about you, Serene," Hali said gently, stroking the mermaid's blond locks.

"I'm sorry," Serene sobbed, "really."

"I know you are," Hali comforted, "Look, I've brought Darwin for you."

The mermaid brighten a little at this, and she snatched the seahorse out of Hali's hands, hugging him close to her chest.

"I thought I lost you, Darwin," Serene's voice was still cracking.

"Come on," Hali sighed, tugging softly at Serene's free hand, "let's get you home, now."


	25. Chapter 25: Deadly Distractions

Upon returning to the palace, Serene wouldn't let Hali out of her sight. The mermaid child followed her cousin everywhere. It was already eleven-thirty, and Hali had promised to meet Xavier at noon. Hali somehow managed to sneak away from the girl, but before she could even leave the castle, Serene had somehow found her.

"Where are you going?" the curious mermaid asked.

"To the market," Hali wanted to keep her answers short, then maybe Serene would lose interest.

"Can I come?"

"No, sorry Serene," Hali began in earnest, "I have big girl things to do today."

"I'm a big girl too," the child pouted.

"Not really, sweetie" Hali placed a gentle hand on the mermaid's shoulder, "but, I'll take you to the market tomorrow, okay? I promised a friend that I'd be at the market today. I'm supposed to be there right now."

"No, Hali," the child wailed, clinging tightly to her fins, "please don't go. I'm scared."

"But you have Darwin to protect you," Hali pointed out, "and mommy, and daddy, and grandpa too."

"But I want you Hali," Serene looked so completely downhearted.

"I'm leaving now, Serene," Hali said apolitically, before swimming towards the castle's main exit.

"You're going to see dumb, old Xavier, aren't you?" sniffed Serene.

Hali tried to keep a smile from forming on her face. Little Serene was far too smart. Hali felt that the girl deserved the truth.

"Yes," Hali answered plainly.

"You love _him_ more than me," the merchild was crying uncontrollably, "I hate you, Hali!"

With that, Serene swam off, faster than Hali had ever seen the girl swim before. Hali only blinked, and Serene was long gone, having left only a wake of bubbles. The guardian sighed, for she knew that her cousin was frightened. Serene was, after all, merely a child, and obviously that nightmare took a toll on her emotionally. Hali would go see Xavier in the morning. She was sure he would understand, if she only explained how much Serene needed her, at the moment. Following the trail of tiny air bubbles, Hali sped off in search of Serene.

The guardian found the girl, in the room the two of them shared at night. Serene was hiding under her warm seaweed blanket, and Hali could her the child speaking to Darwin, between sobs.

"Who, n-needs, H-Hali, Darwin," Serene sniffled, "w-we can s-still play together."

Hali quietly swam over to Serene's bed, and playfully pulled the covers off Serene's pretty head.

"Serene," Hali used a pouty voice, "are you still mad at me?"

Serene turned away from Hali, facing the far wall.

"Darwin," the girl addressed her best friend, "tell Hali, that I'm never going to speak to her again."

Hali played along with Serene's little game for several minutes.

"A huh, a huh," The Guardian orchestrated a conversation with the toy, "is that so? Well, that's too bad, then. Be sure to tell Serene, that we could have had a lot of fun today, okay Darwin? Maybe she'll be my friend again tomorrow, but she'd have missed out on the adventure, by then."

Serene picked up her little blond head, at the mention of the word adventure.

"Did she just say adventure, Darwin?" Serene asked, as she held the plaything to her ear, "Well, I guess I can forgive her... just this once. Okay, Darwin, I'll tell her!"

"Tell me what?" Hali asked in mock surprise.

"Darwin says that I can go on the adventure, but he has to come with me."

"Of course," Hali smiled.

"I'm going to go tell mommy now," Serene added, her tears completely gone, "I'll be right back!"

* * *

Hali needed to think up an adventure, and fast. Then it came to her! She would take Serene out the shell fields, and together, they could go on a scavenger hunt for a specific kind of shell. There were so many seashells in the field, it could take hours, but at least Serene would be happy again. That was Hali's greatest wish for her little cousin, for the girl to feel bubbly and innocent again.

When Serene returned, Darwin in hand, Hali and the child left for the shell fields immediately. It was a good twenty minute swim, one way, before they reached their destination. Hali sighed in relief when she saw the bright, gleaming shell field.

"What kind of adventure are we going to have," Serene chirped excitedly, "Darwin wants to know."

"We're going to look for a shell, for my collection at home."

"That's not an adventure," whined Serene, "there are shells all over the place, all you have to do is pick one up!"

"But Serene," Hali gasped convincingly, "we are looking for a very special shell. It's one of a kind."

"One of a kind," Serene whispered in awe, "really?"

"That's right," Hali smiled at the child.

"Well, what does it look like?"

"Oh, that's easy," Hali paused, to give her time enough to think, "it is a large spiral shell, that is light blue, with pink and purple specks on it. Do you think you can help me find it?"

"Sure!" Serene yelped, as she swam along the shell fields in search of the treasure.

Hali groaned when Serene wasn't listening. The guardian had completely made up the specifics of the shell. Luckily, there were easily thousands of shells in the field. At least one of them had to match the description, right?

Poor Hali could feel the hours slipping away, as the two girls vainly searched for the one of a kind shell. Hali found it impossible to drive thoughts of Xavier out of her head. She regretted standing him up, but Serene had needed her more. For whatever reason, the more Hali thought about Xavier, a curious feeling of dread began to creep up on her, until it settled on her shoulder's like a heavy weight. She still loved him.

Hali was nearly startled out of her skin, when she heard Serene give a sharp squeal. The first thought to cross Hali's mind was that the poor thing had gotten stung by a jelly fish, or some other poisonous sea creature. Then, Serene squealed again, and Hali swam to her immediately.

"Serene, are you okay?" Hali asked panicked.

"Yes," Serene answered happily, "look, I found it!"

Serene held a shell in both hands, and presented it to Hali. Taking the shell from the girl, Hali studied it for a moment. She couldn't believe what she was looking at. Indeed, it was a large, light blue spiral shell covered in hundreds of pink and purple flecks. The shell itself was dazzling, only Hali couldn't believe Serene actually found one to fir her description. After all, she was only making things up as she went along.

"Do you like it?" Serene asked hopefully?

"I love it," Hali assured her, as she ruffled Serene's thick hair.

By the time, the returned to the castle, it was already time for dinner. So, both Hali and Serene quickly washed up, and joined their family in the dining hall. Serene had worn Hali out so much, that the Guardian could barely even keep her eyes open, throughout the course of the meal. She was unequivocally happy, when Triton excused them all form the table, then Hali and Serene both headed directly to bed.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Oh, Hali, why? Xavier needed you desperately, and you spent the day hunting for seashells! Sure you realized you still loved him, but at what price? How are you ever going to find him in time now? In time for what, you ask? Well, maybe if you didn't completely blow him off, you'd know the answer to that question!

Be honest, do you guys hate me right now?

On a happier note, The Yankees are headed to the World Series! Only, they're playing against the Phillies, from my beloved state of Pennsylvania. I can't root for the Phillies, like I did last year. They won, too! My mother has raised me to be a Yankees fan since before I was even potty trained. I'm sorry, PA! Just know that I still love, no adore you.

Take me out to the ball game. Take me out to the crowd,

xJadeRainx


	26. Chapter 26: Hali the Impulsive

Hali woke at the stroke of midnight, with an uncontrollable urge to see Xavier. She couldn't explain it, but she just felt like she needed to see him, immediately. Hali looked over to Serene who she had allowed to spend the night in the same bed as her. She smiled, because the girl was sleeping peacefully, with no trace of a nightmare on her pretty features. Hali rose form the bead gingerly, so as not to disturb Serene. If the girl woke up now, Hali would never be able to escape.

Hali sighed, because her attempt to leave the bed covertly had succeeded. Glancing at the tide dial on a nearby nightstand, Hali estimated that it must be about twelve O'five. The Catfish Cabana was still open. The club didn't close until three in the morning. She was going to meet Xavier there, now. Hali was grateful that Sebastian had been generous enough to give Xavier a job at his club.

Quickly as the current, Hali sped off in the direction of the Catfish Cabana. Upon entering the establishment, Hali's ears were flooded with the sound of loud music, and a collection of enthusiastic mervoices. She weaved her way around the club's patrons, and scanned the room for Xavier. Hali couldn't see him anywhere. The mermaid swam straight for the bar, only to find Sebastian tending to the drinks. Perhaps Xavier had gone on break.

"Sebastian!" Hali called over the din, "where's Xavier?"

The crab's voice grew harsh at the sound of his name, "Dat boy come in 'ere two hour before da club open, an' he say, 'Sebastian, I quit.', mon. Den he swim away."

"That's strange," Hali mused, "do you have any clue where he is now?"

"No, sorry, Hali," Sebastian replied as he tended the order of another redheaded mermaid seated at the bar.

"'ere's your Bermuda Oyster, Tallulah," Sebastian said, handing the drink to the mermaid.

"Thanks, Sebastian," Tallulah giggled, "you mix drinks so much better than that fool you had working at the bar. He was so incredibly slow, and he wasn't even that cute, to begin with."

Hali felt her face grow hot at the mermaids words. She forcefully snatched the glass out of Tallulah's bony hand, and splashed the remaining contents on the mergirl's face.

"What did you do that for, you crazy bitch!" Tallulah shrieked in a shrill voice, "Sebastian, do something about this!"

"Sorry, Hali," Sebastian said absentmindedly, "but if ya gonna cause trouble, 'den you hafta leave."

"What!" screeched Hali incredulously, "Seby, you can't kick me out. Not after everything we've been through together!"

"Listen, Hali," Sebastian repeated in his Jamaican accent, "I jus' got dis club back on her feet, mon. I don't wan' no trouble."

Hali was left with her mouth hanging open, as the dreadful mermaid smirked besides her, apparently pleased with her victory.

"Are you sure, you don't have any idea where Xavier is right now?" Hal asked again hopefully.

"No, Hali," Sebastian maintained, "now, please go. I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Fine," Hali said gruffly, her eyes narrowing, "I'll leave. Thanks for the support, Seby. It really means a lot to me."

The princess turned to leave the bar, but not before delivering a powerful punch to Tallulah's face. The unsuspecting mermaid, chocked on the oyster shell in her drink.

"I just wanted to wipe that smug look off your face, Tallulah," Hali seethed, "no one says thing like that about my man and expects to get away with it."

Tallulah was left cradling her bruised face in the palms of her hands, and before Sebastian even had a chance to deal with the situation, Hali had already disappeared.

Hali could feel tears start to well up in her eyes, as she exited the Catfish Cabana. Why was she crying? That much she didn't understand. The feeling of dread she had experienced earlier had returned. Only this time, it felt much more urgent, as if she was pressed for time. She estimated that she had spent about an hour in the club, which now put it at about one in the morning. She wondered why Xavier would quit the Catfish Cabana so suddenly. Perhaps he had been terribly hurt when she didn't show up at the market, like she had promised. Xavier probably had given up on her, and went back to Shireland. Yes, Hali resolved that must have been exactly what happened. Xavier was in Shireland right now, most likely sleeping peacefully in his bed, in the log cabin, a few yards off the palace. He was safe. There was absolutely no reason for her to feel so, anxious. Hali was probably tired. She decided to head back to the castle now. Besides, if Serene were to wake and find her missing, the child was likely to alert the whole castle. There was no sense in worrying anyone. Hali began her swim back to King Triton's castle very unhappily. She really had wanted to see Xavier, to see him, and more specifically, to apologize for her stubborn behavior.

Hali was halfway back to the castle, when she was stabbed by another painful feeling of dread. Something was pulling at her. Xavier was still in the ocean somewhere, she could feel it. The big question was, where would he likely be? Hali knew it was a long shot, but she decided to check the market. That was where she had promised to meet him before. There was the slightest of chances that he had returned, perhaps hoping to see Hali again. The market was a good twenty five minute swim from where Hali was currently. So, the little mermaid quickly swam off in the market's direction, driven by her impulses.

Finally, Hali arrived at the market place, tired and out of breath. Looking around, she found it empty. To make matters worse, her feeling of dread had not subsided at all. In fact, it was growing more intense by the minute. The princess assumed it must have been close to two in the morning.

"Where are you, Xavier?" Hali whispered desperately.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hali and Xavier really must be soul mates, if she is experiencing such strange feelings. As Xavier's life is slowly slipping away, Hali is met with an ever growing sensation of dread. Isn't that interesting? I wonder if she will find him in time? Damn you, Lilith!

So, do you guys remember that horrible Tallulah? I'm glad Hali taught her a lesson!

Night and day, you are the one,

xJadeRainx


	27. Chapter 27: After the Dawn, the Dilemma

Hali remained suspended in the dark water that engulfed her petite body. She was positive that she still sensed Xavier's presence. Hali had to admit to herself, that it was a rather alarming fact. She had never experienced such sensations before. Hali closed her azure eyes for a moment, in order to clear her head. After taking in a deep breath, the princess exhaled. She could feel that Xavier was still somewhere in the ocean, only it seemed as though he was far away. Why was that? Suddenly, Hali's eyes flew open. Something was pulling her towards the surface.

Hali couldn't help but think of herself as silly. After all, the ocean was a vast body of water, stretching out until it touched the outskirts of eternity. Whenever it was that she surfaced, it would be more than likely that all she would see was, well, ocean expanding for miles, all around her. Still, some invisible, unavoidable drive, pushed her onwards and upwards, towards the surface. Hali's heart raced as she skillfully flicked her powerful, chartreuse colored fins though the water. This was the only lead she had.

"I'm coming, Xavier," Hali whispered to herself.

* * *

Cricket stirred in her giant clam shell bed, unable to fall back to sleep. As much as she loved her sister, Cricket simply hated sharing a room with her. Jade was the queen of snoring, and loudly at that. How unbecoming of a princess! Cricket turned over on her side, hoping to become more comfortable, and thus, fall asleep again. With eyes closed, the mermaid sighed. It was useless. All at once, Cricket sprang forward from bed. She could have sworn that she had heard a very peculiar noise, but was difficult to tell, given Jade's awful snores. No, there it was again. Voices! Only, who would be up, so early in the morning? Cricket felt compelled to investigate. The princess eased out of her bed, swimming towards the door. With great caution, Cricket gently pushed the door opened, and peered outside. She could see nothing out of the ordinary, but still, the strange voices remained. Cricket listened for a moment, the voices rang clear, however she could not understand a single word. The mermaid needed to get closer.

Cricket wisely looked first left, and then right. The coast was clear, so she set out, following the sound of the unfamiliar voices. The princess gracefully turned corridor after corridor, her keen ears catching every last strain of the foreign words. It soon became clear to Cricket, that the voices were leading her directly to Adelaide's nursery. Cricket stopped immediately, when she reached the outside of the nursery door. Three merman, not belonging to the castle were huddled over Adelaide's cradle. Two of the merman were quite obviously older, perhaps middle aged, but the third couldn't be any older than Cricket herself. Their backs were all turned away form her, so she couldn't get a very good look at them. The young princess was about to turn around and alert her grandfather of the intruders, when the youngest merman suddenly bent down, and picked a sleeping Adelaide out of her cradle. When the young merman turned, Cricket gave out an audible gasp. The merman holding Adelaide had made eye contact with her, and Cricket found herself staring into a familiar pair of deep set amber eyes.

The merman handed little Adelaide to one of his older companions, and began to swim towards Cricket. The mermaid sped off, quick as lightning, towards her grandfather's bedchambers, but the stranger was far too fast, and soon caught up with her.

"Who are you?" Cricket demanded.

The stranger only offered an eerie smile, and with a wave of his hand, he spoke, " Miegs."

That was all it took, before Cricket drifted to the castle floor, in the deepest of slumbers.

* * *

Hali's head finally broke the surface of the water with a soft splash. In the pale moonlight, she rubbed her eyes in total disbelief. Barely even a few yards away from her, was Xavier, floating motionless on his back, gazing up at the sky. He hadn't been lying, after all. If Xavier had been given the Mermaid's Kiss, then the moment his head resurfaced, he would have been transformed back into a human. Yet, there was his tail plain as the nose on his face. Hali couldn't help, but give an involuntary shudder. Xavier just looked so... dead. The princess wasted no further time, and quietly swam the rest of the way to Xavier.

"Xavier?" Hali asked gently, "do you hate me?"

The merman spoke to her, but his eyes remained fixed on the sky, "No, Hali, I love you. There in lies the problem."

With that, Xavier unexpectedly dove beneath the waves. Hali quickly dove in after him. If Xavier thought he could out swim her, he was sorely mistaken. The mermaid chased after him for some time, before he finally resurfaced again. Hali was right beside him.

"What are you doing up here, Xavier?"

"Waiting for the dawn," he said flatly.

Hali placed a loving hand on Xavier's shoulder. The poor man was ice cold to the touch, not to mention pale looking.

"Listen to me, Xavier..." Hali began.

Xavier chuckled to himself, "Now you want to talk!"

"I was on my way to meet you, Xavier. I swear, "Hali defended herself, "but something came up with Serene. I needed to deal with it."

Xavier only smiled sadly at her, as pink stripes began to lighten the sky, "It's too late for us, Hali."

"No, Xavier!" Hali cried, throwing her arms around his neck, "I love you. I've always loved you."

Xavier gazed deeply into the girl's azure eyes, "Tell me that you forgive me."

"Xavier," Hali started, "it's _me_ who should be begging _your_ forgiveness. I was so unbelievably stubborn."

The sky was growing lighter by the minute, and Xavier gripped Hali's shoulders, making direct eye contact, "Please, Hali, tell me you _forgive_ me."

"Okay, Xavier," Hali said seriously, "I forgive you."

Xavier let out huge sigh, a pulled Hali into a deep, and thankful kiss. Hali pressed herself deeper into his embrace, and she could feel the heat returning to Xavier's body.

* * *

Hali led Xavier to the site of a sunken ship, that had been converted into a playground for merchildren. They sat together on a playground merry go round, that was created from the ships steering wheel. Hali smiled, because she hadn't been to this playground since she was a child. Looking Xavier over, Hali could see that his usual complexion had been restored. She couldn't quite shake the feeling, that something terrible had almost occurred. Deciding that she couldn't remain silent any longer, Hali spoke.

"Xavier, how did you go about getting your tail?"

Xavier stiffened, "I didn't kiss anybody, Hali I swear."

He didn't know what to tell her. Lilith had warned him not to tell anyone about their little deal, or he would die. The vampire never mentioned that he could say anything about it, once he had gained Hali's forgiveness. Given Lilith's history with omitting crucial details, Xavier didn't want to take the chance.

"I believe you," Hali began, "otherwise, you'd be human right now," then she added, "and naked, but you certainly wouldn't be here, at this underwater playground. So, how _did_ you get that tail?"

"Well, I... um, " Xavier was not the best of liars.

Hali gasped, "Oh, Xavier, did you go to see that old gypsy witch, Madam Aradia, who sets up shop on Darcie Street?"

"Yes, yes, I did," Xavier choked.

"Oh," Hali said thoughtfully, "I always thought she was a fraud."

"Well she's not," replied Xavier.

How did she say you were going to turn back into a human, then?" Hali questioned.

"She didn't," groaned Xavier.

"Xavier," Hali's eyes were hard as steel, "how could you do something so... stupid?"

"Because I love you," Xavier spoke as if the answer should have been obvious, "And L-Lady Aradia made a very attractive offer."

Xavier had to check himself, when he almost said the name Lilith.

"It's Madam Aradia," Hali corrected, "so, are you saying that you have no clue how to turn yourself back into human, now?"

"No, not exactly," admitted Xavier, "Actually, not at all."

Hali sighed, "Well, I guess, I could ask Grandpa to change you back with his Trident."

"Actually, I'm kind of scared of him," Xavier shivered.

"But," Hali began to protest.

"Let's deal with this later," Xavier interrupted, "I want to stay as a merman for a little while longer."

"Why?" asked Hali.

"To help you search for the Ocean's Star."

Hali lazily swam to the sunken ship, that merchildren now use as a type of jungle gym, and entered its cavity. Xavier followed close behind. Once inside, Hali rested her head against Xavier's shoulder.

"You really have to be careful, when you go to magical creatures for help, Xavier," whispered Hali, as her eyes began to droop, "the evil ones will promise you the world, before they snatch it away from you."

With one final yawn, Hali had fallen asleep, and Xavier soon did the same.

* * *

Roxanna had always been an early riser. Alana had given birth to the girl at the crack of dawn, and ever since that day, Roxanna was always awake and ready for the day, at sunrise. Naturally, no one in the castle was up at such an hour, not even the servants. So, Roxanna would amuse herself, by swimming around the corridors, humming to herself, and she would always check up on Adelaide. Roxanna turned the last corridor leading to Adelaide's nursery, when she came across the figure of Cricket, laying in an unconscious heap, on the castle floor. Roxanna quickly swam to her cousin's side, and tried to wake the poor girl.

Shaking Cricket by the arm, Roxanna cried, "Cricket, Cricket, wake up. What are you doing here?"

The mermaid waited approximately three seconds, before she shook the girl more urgently, "Cricket! Can you hear me? Cricket!"

When Cricket again failed to respond, Roxanna let out a terrifying, ear splitting scream, that awoke the entirety of King Triton's court.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I had planned to continue, but the chapter was getting rather long, and I felt that this was a good place to stop. I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter.

Now, did you really think that I was going to let Xavier die? Hali would have been devastated!

Who were those three strange merman in Adelaide's nursery?

What's wrong with Cricket?

Will Xavier ever be human again?

So many questions, you all must have! Well, read on and find out for yourselves.

There is a castle on a cloud. I like to go there in my sleep,

xJadeRainx


	28. Chapter 28: Truce

Dawn had come and gone, and now a pale orange sun was peeking out through a cluster of thick gray clouds. The air still had a crisp chill, but the day was steadily growing warmer. Salty Sam sat in his cabin, that was shabby looking to begin with, but after Hannah had used his ship as target practice, his cabin was pretty much a disaster area, as was the rest of his ship. It was becoming increasingly obvious, that the _Oak Leviathan_ was far beyond the realm of repair. He and his crew weren't going anywhere. Sam sat, with his arms crossed moodily, and his sandy boots resting atop his desk. What did he care if he left his desk a mess? The ship was in bad enough condition as it was, anyway. Presently, there came a knock at the door.

"Enter," Sam said with an annoyed sigh.

In stepped Piper, scratching his head, with a confused look on his face. Sam might have asked his friend what was wrong, but he was far too disgusted with his life at the moment, that the captain simply stared at the first mate stoically, until Piper finally spoke up.

"Um, Sam," Piper finally brought himself to say, "you have a visitor."

"A visitor?" now Sam was just as confused as his old friend, Piper.

"Yeah," answered Piper, "should I send him in?"

Sam hadn't been expecting it, but his spirits sunk even lower. _Him_? The captain had been hoping the visitor was Hali. He hadn't seen her since the day they had escaped from Hannah. Oh, well. She must have made up with Xavier by now, he supposed.

"Sam?" Piper called out again.

"Huh?" Sam grunted, as he was pulled away form his thoughts, by Piper's voice.

"Should I send him in?"

"Yes," Sam answered with a wave of his hand, "yes, of course."

* * *

Ariel sighed, as she leaned over the balcony of her bedroom, staring into the expansive green sea. She wondered how Hali was getting along. It had been a week since she had left for Atlantica, leaving behind only a short note disclosing her whereabouts. As much as Ariel loved her daughter, the strong willed girl sometimes drove her to the brinks of insanity.

Curiously, Xavier had gone missing shortly after Hali made her expert escape. Ariel suspected that Xavier went after the girl. But how? The queen couldn't help but think of Ursula, and how the sea witch had tricked her, after she agreed to surrender her beautiful voice. Ursula was long dead now, so she couldn't have possibly gotten her grubby tentacles on Xavier. If that was so, then who did? Perhaps Morgana had somehow found a way to defrost herself from that ice block. No. Ariel shook her head. That was highly unlikely.

Ariel sighed again, and tapped her perfectly manicured nails against the railing. Where was Eric anyway? He was supposed to be helping her take care of Melody, right now. Lance had been called back to Westland, to help his father out of some mess that he had managed to stir up, leaving Melody behind. King Leroy was slowly running the country into the ground. Once Lance became king of Westland, the better it would be for everyone involved.

Right when Ariel needed her king most, he went off chasing after that wretched pirate woman, with the aid of Hali's sailor friend, though Ariel couldn't remember his name at the moment. And now Eric was just... gone. Ariel was a good woman, wise, gentle, rambunctious, when she needed to be, but her patience was wearing thin.

* * *

Strictly speaking, Sam was floored when his visitor walked though the door to his humble cabin.

"You're looking a little pale there, Captain," Eric remarked, "Are you feeling well?"

"Sometimes I get seasick," Sam joked, "what brings you here, Your Highness?"

"I just wanted to thank you, for all your help, Captain."

"Come," Sam began, when he noticed that more than half of his crew was crowding around the open cabin door, as Spider, and the other little ones tired to peek though the legs of the sailors, "let's go for a walk above deck, so my crew can get back to work."

With that, Sam shot a warning glare at his crewmen, and every single one of them immediately dispersed. Spying on the captain simply wasn't worth latrine duty.

Once above deck, Sam leaned over the guard rail of his ship, and produced a small silver fife, which, Eric assumed, the sailor had been carrying in his pocket. Sam commenced to play an old sea shanty, that the king recognized right away.

"I know that tune," Eric said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, well, I quit," Sam sighed as he hurled the fife towards the glassy sea.

The instrument whistled through the air, before if finally cut through the water, and sank beneath the moderate waves. Eric smiled at the familiar scene. He recalled doing the exact same thing, only many years ago, when he was a young man, even younger than Sam was now.

While they were off fighting Hard Hearted Hannah, Eric had grown strangely fond of the sailor. Sam had proved himself to be a highly intelligent man, not to mention brave, and even honorable. Although, Eric knew that the young captain would never admit to it.

"Thanks to you," Eric added gratefully, "we were able to intercept Hard Hearted Hannah and her crew. They are currently all being held in the detention center beneath the palace."

"Well, the sea is a safer place now, I'd wager," Sam sighed, "so, any news on your side, Your Majesty."

"Cigar?" Eric offered, holding the Belvedere out to Sam.

"No thanks," declined Sam, "I usually roll my own."

"Well," the king continued, "things have been pretty hectic back at the palace. Hali's going to have quite the surprise waiting for her, upon her return."

"Upon her return?" Sam questioned in confusion, "did she go somewhere?"

"Atlantica," Eric answered flatly, puffing away at his own cigar.

"Oh," sighed Sam, "I guess I won't be seeing Hali anytime soon."

"You know," Eric replied with a smile, "I could always offer you a job with my navy, Captain. You'd have to start from the bottom and work your way up, of course, but..."

"And abandon my crew?" Sam shook his head, "I couldn't do that, Your Highness."

"Then allow me to give you one of my ships," proposed Eric, "Your ship is, well, destroyed. No offense, Captain."

"As much as I appreciate the offer, Your Majesty," Sam said turning to face the king for the first time, "I couldn't possibly accept. I'd lose all respect from my crew. You understand, yes?"

"Perfectly, Captain, "Eric answered, giving Sam a manly pat on the back.

With that, Eric left the _Oak Leviathan_, and made his way back towards the palace. He hoped that Ariel wasn't too upset with him for leaving without warning, so early in the morning. When he returned, Eric would take over caring for Melody, that way, Ariel could take a much needed rest. Perhaps then, his wife's anger at him, would subside, even if it was only by a little bit.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Who would have thought that Eric and Sam would ever become...friends? Let me just say that I am just as shocked as any of you, floored even. It seems that miracles do happen, after all.

So for all of you, curious about what's going on with Ariel, Melody, and the baby, here it is! There are plenty of clues within this chapter, hinting towards the status of the royal family. Did you find them? If not, try reading the chapter over again. The clues are in there, I assure you.

Because it's almost Halloween:

It was a one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater,

xJadeRainx


	29. Chapter 29: Confusion

"Hali, wake up," Xavier said gently, stroking the girl's red hair, "the sun's been up for hours now."

Hali merely turned over on her side, and murmured, "Five more minutes."

Xavier smiled as the mermaid curled herself into a small, scaly ball, as she attempted to fall back asleep. Indeed the two of them had been up late, talking, so Hali was bound to be tired. That in and of itself, was not the problem, however. Xavier knew that if Hali didn't get home soon, her family would surely start to worry. Xavier grabbed hold of her shoulder, and resumed his attempt at rousing the girl.

"Hali," repeated Xavier, "you need to get home, now."

"Home?" Hali rubbed her eyes in confusion, "what are you talking..."

Then, Hali bolted upright. She suddenly remembered that she was lying on the floor of a renovated sunken ship, not at the castle in her warm, comfortable clam shell bed. It wasn't dear, little Serene prompting her to get up, but Xavier. Serene! If the little mermaid had awoken early, and found Hali missing, then King Triton's entire castle would know that she was missing, by now. With her grandfather, and a collection of six protective aunts, if they knew she had been out all night with a boy... Hali didn't even want to think about that situation.

"So," Xavier drawled out, "Sleeping beauty finally awakes."

"Yes, I've got to get back to my grandfather's castle, now," remarked Hali, "Are you coming?"

"I'm happy to swim with you to the castle," Xavier began, "but I'm not setting fin in there."

"Why not?"

"Besides the obvious reasons," Xavier said as her raised an eyebrow, "I think I'm going back to the Catfish Cabana, to beg Sebastian for my old job back."

Hali snorted and crossed her arms at the mention of Sebastian's awful club.

"Why?" Xavier asked with a smile.

"I don't think that Sebastian will ever allow me inside the Catfish Cabana ever again," Hali whined.

"And why would that be?" Xavier winked, touching the tip of Hali's nose with his pointer finger.

"Because I punched a horrid mermaid named Tallulah in the face," admitted Hali, "I think Sebastian has a crush on her."

"Tallulah?" laughed Xavier, "no. Apparently, her father's rich and is one of the backers for Sebastian's club."

"Rich? She couldn't possibly be richer than me," Hali grumbled, "I'm a princess! Besides, Sebastian must know that Grandpa would give him anything he needed for the club."

"Yes, that's true," acknowledge Xavier, "but Sebastian said something about wanting to make it on his own. Anyway, we've wasted some time here. Shouldn't we be on our way, now?"

Hali let out an exaggerated sigh, blowing tiny air bubbles out through her nose, as she did so. Xavier couldn't help but smile at the mermaid, sitting with her arms crossed, with an adorable scowl on her face. Hali looked so unbelievably cute, at that exact moment.

"You're right, Xavier," Hali finally said, "as usual. Let's go."

Hali was the first to move from their stationary position swimming a few feet away from the wreckage, turned playground.

"Hali, wait a minute," Xavier called out to her.

"Yes?" Hali answered, as she spun around to face the merman.

"Are there other magical creatures, besides mermaid in the world?"

"Well, of course, silly," grinned Hali, "Essentially, everything that you have ever read about in a book, or heard about in a tale exists," Hali began counting off on her fingers, "unicorns, dragons, troll, elves, werewolves, oh, and vampires are the worst of the bunch."

Hali did not take notice, as Xavier gulped when she had used the word, vampire.

"Why do you ask?" Hali looked up, questioning him with her azure eyes.

"I was just curious, is all," Xavier answered with a sheepish smile, "come on, we should get going now."

* * *

Xavier had offered to swim the rest of the way to the castle with Hali, but since the Catfish Cabana was closer, Hali allowed the man to stay at the club. It really wasn't that much longer of a swim to her grandfather's castle, anyway. So, Hali swam along, happily, taking in all the scenery. She watched in amusement, as the tiny fish darted past her, sometimes playfully nipping at her ears. Hali shivered at the ticklish sensation. Making up with Xavier, had certainly improved her mood. The mermaid no longer felt so... lonely. Hali turned playful somersaults in the water, as she continued her swim towards the castle. Suddenly, Hali found herself feeling revived. Surely, her search for the star wouldn't feel like such a chore. The princess smiled to her self the rest of the way. Hali couldn't believe she felt so uncharacteristically happy. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so giddy. Oh, wait. Yes, she could. It was the time when Xavier first proposed to her. Hali couldn't help but notice, that Xavier had kept the ring on a chain around his neck. She was going to have to ask for that back, sometime.

Hali quietly swam through the doors of King Triton's castle. Perhaps, if she played in smoothly enough, no one would know that she was out all night. She could always say that she woke up early, before Serene, and went for a stroll around the grounds. Yes, that was a good lie, if there was such a thing. Oh, well. It was believable, in any case.

As Hali turned the corner of one watery corridor, she met the figure of one exceedingly worried looking Attina. Hali felt her heart sink in her chest. Perhaps she was caught already.

"Where have you been, Hali?" the faint trace of tears, could be heard in her aunts voice.

"Aunt Attina," Hali tentatively began, "I can explain.."

Only, before Hali could even think about finishing her sentence, Attina pulled the girl into a relieved hug.

"Oh, Hali," sniffed Attina, "we all thought that they had taken you too!"

"What?" Hali was in a state of absolute confusion, "take me? Who? What are you talking about?"

"Adelaide is gone, and Cricket..." at this point, Attina's voice broke off painfully.

"Adelaide and Cricket are gone!" panicked Hali.

"No, Cricket is safe, at least we think so."

"Aunt Attina," Hali breathed, "what is going on?"

"Roxanna found Cricket lying unconscious on the castle floor, right outside of Adelaide's nursery. The baby was gone."

"Okay," Hali tried her best to remain calm, "maybe Adelaide simply learned how to swim. She can't possibly have gotten too far, with that little tail."

"No," Attina wailed again, "we've checked everywhere, and Cricket won't wake up!"

Hali was at a complete loss as to what to say. She simply remained, suspended in the water, with her arms crossed over her chest. What exactly _did_ happen while she was away, Hali wondered.

"And then there's the matter of Serene," Attina added, with tears still streaming down her gentle face.

"What about Serene!" shouted Hali.

"I think you should go and see it for yourself," Attina looked up to her, with a tear stained face, "I don't know how to explain it."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Okay, guys, I know that this is a shorter one, but I'm tired. Also, leaving off here, makes for a great cliff hanger, huh?

Tomorrow is Halloween, but you already know that.

'Cause it's thriller, thriller night, and no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike,

xJadeRainx


	30. Chapter 30: Where to Begin?

Attina could have picked Hali's chin off the floor, as the two women entered the largest of King Triton's guest rooms. Hali gasped, a mixture of surprise and horror, as she took in the scene that was playing before her very eyes. There was Serene. The little mergirl, sat straight, and rigid, on the edge on the giant clam shell bed. To Hali's surprise, the spell book lay open in Serene's hands, however, this was not what alarmed the guardian. Hali could scarcely bring herself to breathe, as she stared at the vacant expression on the small child's face. Serene's eyes were glowing with a sepia hue, and her mouth was spitting out words a mile a minute. There was no wonder why Attina was so concerned. After all, the words Serene was speaking made absolutely no sense. Well, almost no sense. Hali understood each and every word issuing from the mermaid's mouth. Serene was chanting in Ancient Alantican.

_Кроў дзіцяці,  
Верне каралеве.  
Яе зло будзе распаўсюджвацца,  
і распаўсюд назаўсёды.  
Акіян ўпадзе  
ў руках,  
Помста на яе рукой.  
Кроў дзіцяці,  
верне каралеве._

Hali immediately rushed over to her little cousin, and gently pulled the book form Serene's grip. The eerie sepia glow, instantly dissolved form the child's eyes, and the poor girl slumped backwards in bed, exhausted, and fell asleep. Attina gave a concerned shriek at the abrupt change, that had just taken place.

"She's fine, Aunt Attina," Hali began, although her gaze never left Serene's face, "she's only sleeping."

"Hali, what just happened?" Attina demanded.

The Guardian lovingly brushed aside a lock of blond hair, and tucked it neatly behind the little mermaid's ear.

"I can explain everything, I think," whispered Hali.

"You think!" Attina's voice had a queenly dread to it, and Hali shuddered, for it reminded her of her own mother.

Finally turning to face her aunt who had grown from concerned and fearful, to livid, "Gather Grandpa, Aunt Andrina, and Uncle Lamar in the conference room. I'll meet you all there in a little while."

Attina offered Hali no words, as she left the guest room in search of her father and younger sister. Not long after Attina left, Hali gathered her spell book. The poor girl's head was spinning, and as a result was making her rather dizzy. The good news was, the search for the Ocean's Star was now over. The Star had been Serene all along. She should have known, only, the Guardian hadn't expected the Ocean's Star to be so young. Hali could have kicked herself, if she had feet, that was. The bad news, on the other hand, was that Hali now had to explain the entire situation to her family. That was surely not going to be an easy task, and to make matters worse, Hali would also need to inform them about Serene's chilling chant, or prophecy, rather. But in order to do that, Hali was going to need to decode it first, and quickly.

* * *

A little over thirty minutes had passed, when Hali finally joined a select few of her family members in King Triton's conference room. Hali felt as if she was three inched tall as she swam up to the inconceivably large conference table. Hali could feel the eyes of her grandfather, two of her six aunts, and her uncle Lamar, burning her, as she advanced her way to the table. Already the Guardian could tell that she was in for some difficult to answer questions.

Hali finally took her place at the conference table, opposite her Aunt Andrina and her husband Lamar. She placed her spell book against the flat table top, but jumped slightly as the sound echoed throughout the conference room. Hali could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest, and her cheeks where burning hot, in anticipation. She had no clue as to where to begin. Luckily she didn't have to, seeing that it was King Triton how spoke first.

"Well," it wasn't a question, it was the order of a king.

"Let me start by saying that Serene is perfectly fine," Hali started her explanation.

Hali could hear the collective sighs of her Aunt Andrina and Uncle Lamar, that were obviously sounds of relief. It was unfortunate that her family's relief was bound to be short lived.

"Would you please explain what has been going on, these last twenty four hours, Hali," Attina growled.

Attina was still under temporary control of the throne, seeing as King Triton was not quite up to his full strength. Hali never wanted admitted this out loud, but it seemed that her grandfather would possibly never return to his former vigor.

Hali took only a short glace at Attina's stern expression, and decided to begin her story immediately. Attina took her responsibilities as temporary queen, very seriously. Hali, of course, had no desire to stand in her way.

The Guardian drew in one long breath, and began, "I'd better start from the beginning."

"Obviously," King Triton and Attina spoke at the same time, with the same deadly tone. It made Hali shiver.

"It goes all the way back to a year ago," Hali sat up straighter in her seat, hoping to come off as more confidant, "when Tiamat was terrorizing the ocean."

"Tiamat!" Shrieked Andrina, who moved her hand to her chest, "What does Tiamat have to do with any of this?"

Lamar rested a large gentle hand across his wife's arm, "Let her finish, dear."

Andria grew quiet all at once, and Hali seized the opportunity to continue.

"A year ago, Tiamat nearly conquered Atlantica, and it was only a matter of time before all of the seven seas fell under her control."

"We already know all this, Hali," King Triton warned, "What exactly is your point?"

Hali gulped, "When you feel ill, Grandpa, you asked me to find Murphy, and I did."

"Who's Murphy?" Andrina questioned.

King Triton held up his great hand, gesturing for his daughter to be quiet.

"I discovered that Murphy was grandpa's brother, and more importantly, Murphy was the Guardian of the Sea."

"What.." Andrina began, but was quickly silenced by King Triton's sharp glare.

"Murphy gave me this book," Hali gestured to her spell book, laying innocently on the table before her, "it isn't my diary, you see, it's a spell book."

"A spell book!" Andrina gasped again.

"Yes, a spell book," reiterated Hali, "it's how I defeated Tiamat last year."

"I don't see how any of this has to do with Adelaide's disappearance, Cricket's coma, or Serene's episode," King Triton raised a white eyebrow, "Explain, now."

"Shortly before Murphy died," began Hali, "he explained that the ocean was made of three parts. Respectively, the Ocean's Voice, Heart, and Star. Murphy was the Ocean's Voice. He explained to me, that I was the Ocean's Heart, and he trained me to defeat Tiamat at her own game. Then Murphy said that it would be my responsibility to locate the Ocean's Star, and train that soul to use his or her powers correctly.

"Recently, my spell book has been sending me messages to find the Ocean's Star. The book warned me that I had until the moon completes its cycle to uncover the Star. That was the purpose of my visit to Atlantica."

Hali stopped for a moment, in order to survey the faces of the adults surrounding her. They were all listing with the utmost attention to her words.

Then, Hali turned to face Andrina, "Serene is the Ocean's Star."

"Serene?" Lamar echoed back in shock.

"Yes, Serene," Hali repeated, "but I'm afraid it doesn't end there."

"What do you mean by that?" pleaded Andrina.

"I'm talking about the words Serene was chanting, Aunt Andrina," Hali explained.

"The words," Andrina choked, "are you saying that they weren't merely gibberish?"

"No, far from gibberish, actually," frowned Hali, "Serene was speaking in Ancient Atlantican."

"Ancient Atlantican!" Each of the adults shrieked in time.

"Where could our little Serene possibly pick up Ancient Atlantican?" asked her Uncle Lamar.

"Serene didn't _need_ to learn the language, Uncle Lamar," Explained Hali, "She already knew it. She was born with that knowledge."

"But how?"

"I really don't think the technicalities are particularly important right know," Hali sighed, "but what I do feel is imperative at the moment, is the _meaning_ behind Serene's chant. Well, it wasn't a chant at all, really. It was a prophecy."

"A prophecy?" King Triton looked Hali straight in her azure eyes, "are you sure?"

"Yes, Grandpa," Hali assured, "I've given this some thought, and I believe the Ocean's Star is a seer."

"A seer?" Attina cried out in disbelief, "as in clairvoyant?"

"Exactly so," Hali answered.

"If that's true," Andrina's voice began to crack, as fear started to fill her body, "what does the prophecy say?"

Hali turned her gaze away from her aunt, and gave her grandfather a sympathetic look. Taking in a deep breath, the translated the prophecy into words her audience would understand.

_The blood of the child,  
Will bring back the queen.  
Her evil will spread, and spread forever.  
The ocean will fall  
in her hands,  
Revenge at her fingertips.  
The blood of her child,  
will bring back the queen._

No sooner had Hali finished uttering the prophecy's final word, than a soft knock came at the conference room door. The knocker didn't wait for a reply, but opened the door immediately, and in swam Merrick.

Merrick took one look at the enraged faces of everyone in the room, and felt the need to explain his rude in intrusion.

"I didn't mean to disturb anyone," Merrick began sheepishly, "but Cricket is awake."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I know that I haven't updated in what seems to be forever, but here is the latest installment of _Ocean Star_! No harm done, right? I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, though, readers. Kudos for any of you who may have guessed that Serene was the Ocean's Star. You all earned a well deserved pat on the back! Go ahead, no need to be shy.

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Converse r life. If it weren't for your assassins, I might never have posted this chapter, at all!

I'll never forget him, leader of the pack,

xJadeRainx


	31. Chapter 31: Yet Another Obstacle

Upon hearing this, Attina immediately swam out of the conference room, to go check up on Cricket. Hali was right on her aunt's fins. The guardian also wanted to see Cricket. Hali needed to confirm just one last detail, and she believed that Cricket held the key, that would unravel everything. Before Hali could even swim out of the door, a grave voice stopped Hali midstroke.

"Where are you going, young lady?" King Triton demanded, "we aren't done here. You still need to explain the prophecy."

"And Serene's clairvoyance," added Andrina.

Hali sighed as she ran her fingers through her long, fiery hair.

"I need to see Cricket to confirm a suspicion I have," explained Hali, "It won't take but a moment."

Hali quickly turned to leave, when her grandfather's voice pulled her back to the remaining group.

"Hali!" shouted the king.

"By all means," Hali bowed her head low in respect, "go and see how Serene is doing. She's bound to be tired after her ordeal. I will be back momentarily."

With that, Hali sped off, in the direction of Cricket's bedchambers, ignoring the protests of the adults left behind in the conference room.

* * *

When Hali arrived, she found Her Aunt Attina, Uncle Marin, and Cricket's two siblings, Jade and Merrick crowding around a great clam shell bed. Somewhere in the middle of that cluster of concerned family, lay Cricket. Hali rapped politely on the door, before she entered the room. Attina looked up briefly, but seeing that the intruder was only Hali, she returned her attention to her youngest daughter.

"How are you feeling, Cricket?" Hali asked quietly, from the doorway. She had not wanted to disturb the family's privacy.

"I feel fine," related Cricket, "but these four won't get it through their thick skulls!"

Merrick snorted to himself, "She's not even awake for fifteen minutes, now, and she's already being defiant!"

"Really," agreed Jade, facing her parents, "I don't know where you went wrong with this one. Merrick and I were simply the ideal children."

Cricket resolved to stick out her tongue, while making rather offensive, un-princess like noises at her sister. However, when Cricket caught hold of Attina's stern expression, she retracted the organ immediately, keeping it safely inside her mouth.

Hali smiled to herself, for it seemed that Cricket was in her usual spirits. Whatever had happened to her, couldn't have possibly been very serious. A light sleeping spell perhaps? After all, the mergirl was only asleep for a little less than a day. Things in Atlantica were looking up. Murk on the other hand, well, Hali did not want to think about that just yet. That was why she had come to speak with Cricket.

"I glad you're feeling well, Cricket," Hali began earnestly, "but I'd like to speak to you about what happened last night. If that's okay?"

"Of course it is!" exclaimed Cricket, "besides, if gives me a chance to shoo these worry warts away."

"You may speak with Hali, Cricket," Attina relented, "but I'm not going anywhere."

"And that is supposed to mean what, exactly?" cricket challenged with a spark in her blue eyes.

"It means I'm staying right here in this room, to make sure that you do not over exert yourself," Attina finished confidently.

"Mother!" shrieked Cricket, "I feel fine, great even. I can't remember the last time I've had such a peaceful rest."

Attina was about ready to open her mouth in rebuttal, but Hali intervened, taking charge of the situation.

"Aunt Attina," Hali addressed the irked mother, "why don't you see how Grandpa is fairing. I know he is worried about Adelaide, and with the condition he is in right now, the stress surely isn't good for him. You can tell him, that I will only be another minute, and then we can all continue the discussion we were having earlier. Just one minute, I promise."

Attina took the time to contemplate Hali's words, and seeing as the girl made a great deal of sense, she left the room with barely a sigh, but a sigh none the less. In any case, she was only going to allow Hali a minute. Just one minute. Cricket needed her rest, after all.

When her mother was well out of sight, Cricket sat up straight in bed, with an exaggerated sigh, throwing the seaweed comforter off her body with force.

"Geez, I've been asleep for like twenty something hours, and they honestly think I need _more_ rest. How absurd!"

"Well, Cricket," Hali started, "you probably should take it easy right now."

The mergirl shot an annoyed glance at Hali, "Who's side are you on anyway?"

"Yours, but in all seriousness..."

"Oh!" squealed Cricket, "Xavier! How did things go with Xavier? I _need_ to know, or else I'll die from the suspense."

"We're back together, thanks to a certain someone," Hali laughed.

"Yes!" celebrated Cricket, "I knew it would work. I just knew it!"

"And I'll be sure to send you a think you note," Hali said sarcastically, "but right now, I need to talk to you about some serious matters. Can you tell me what exactly happened last night?"

"I suffered a bout of of narcolepsy, and slept nearly the entire day," cricket answered, "not much more to relate."

"Cricket," Hali sounded alarmed, "you were found unconscious outside Adelaide's nursery!"

"Really," Cricket said scratching her head, "well, that certainly is strange."

"Adelaide is missing, Cricket!" Hali panicked, "you have to know what happened to her. Why were you just outside the nursery door? Think Cricket! It's vital that you remember."

Cricket paused for a moment, staring blankly into Hali's azure eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hali, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

Hali's mouth dropped open in shock, and she could feel her heart sink, and her pulse begin to race. This was definitely bad news. The guardian hadn't expected this, at all. Now she needed to report back to her family and inform them, that Cricket is suffering from some sort of mild amnesia. What else in this kingdom could possibly go wrong?

Hali ran a desperate hand, down the length of her face, "Thank you Cricket. I'm sorry for bothering you. Come to me if you remember something, anything else. In the mean time, get some rest."

With that, the guardian quickly swam away, and advance towards the conference room. Surely by now, Attina would have recollected the group, and they were probably waiting impatiently for Hali's return.

As she made her way down the water filled corridor, Hali could her Cricket's faint voice call out.

"I _don't_ need rest!"

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Another short chapter, I know, but I wanted to get something posted. I've been trying to update for nearly two days, but every time I attempted to log onto my account, I got an error message. It was so annoying! Did anyone else experience that same problem, or was it just me?

At four-thirty in the morning, I'm milking cows, Jebediah feeds the chickns, and Jacob plows, fool!

xJadeRainx


	32. Chapter 32: A Sudden Breakthrough

Hali hesitated for a split second before she reentered King Triton's conference room. Strictly speaking, she was frightened. Hali had promised her family answers upon her return, and indeed, Hali had been prepared to do just that. Unfortunately, Cricket threw Hali a curve ball. Now, the guardian was right back where she started. What exactly had she accomplished. Nothing. Nothing, except for the unnecessary loss of precious time. Finally, Hali realized that she could stall no longer, and she glided through the heavy doors of the conference room.

Upon her entry, every last member of the group rose from their seated positions at the table. This time, Hali noticed, Merrick had joined them for the meeting.

"Hali," Attina breathed, "did you get a chance to speak with Cricket?"

"Yes," Hali's answer was short. If only life were that easy.

"Oh, good!" exclaimed Andrina, "now you can explain all the cloudy details."

All Hali had to offer her family was a deep frown, "Actually, no, I can't."

King Triton could feel his fury rising at Hali's answer. The king gritted his teeth; it was all he could to to keep is anger in check.

"What do you mean?" her grandfather snapped, his eyes narrowing.

"There isn't really a nice way of putting this," began Hali, "so I'm just going to come right out and say it. Cricket seems to have lost her memory."

"Is that some sort of joke Hali?" Merrick piped up in annoyance, "if so, it wasn't funny. I saw Cricket earlier, and she seemed fine to me."

Hali knew that Merrick was a no nonsense kind of merman, and he was right. Cricket _did_ seem fine, at first. However, when Hali pressed the girl for further, information, she had discovered Cricket's memory loss.

"Yes, yes," Hali did her best to explain, "her long term memory is fine, but..."

"But what?" demanded King Triton.

"Cricket has zero recollection of what happened last night."

"What!" the entire room called out in panic.

"I know it's a huge setback," Hali acknowledged, "but were going to have to get on with business, and see if we can figure thins out from here."

"Let's start with the prophecy," requested Andrina, since it concerned Serene, "you translated it, but what does it mean?"

"Ill answer that in a minute," Hali told her aunt, "but let me backtrack for a minute."

"Make it quick," ordered the king.

"Of course," Hali addressed her grandfather, "I believe Serene is a seer, or one who can look into the future for several reasons."

"Such as?" Attina asked, wishing Hali would get to the point faster.

"Well, fist, my spell book gave me three very cryptic messages. I didn't understand them at first."

"What were the messages," Merrick was always one to get straight down to business. He was going to make a good king someday.

"The first message said," began Hali, "'The Star can see what all others fail to see', the second message said, 'The star has eyes keener than most', and the third message said, 'The Star looks beyond the mundane'."

"Those really are cryptic," Andrina sighed, her lovely features twisting into a frown.

"Yes," agreed Hali, "and then Serene had that dream. We all thought it was a nightmare, but know I think that it was a vision. I should have realized it then. I'm so stupid!"

"Stop this," King Triton's voice was grave, "self degradation isn't going to fix anything. Now, get on with your explanation."

Hali knew the Atlantica's king was right, as he usually was, so she continued.

"Since Serene is the Ocean's Star, my book reacted to the touch of her magic. That's the only way it can open, and that's why, I had most of you touch the book. I was trying to weed you out, and find the Star. Instead, Serene found me."

"And the Prophecy?" inquired Andrina.

Hali repeated Serene's prophecy for the benefit of the group.

_The blood of the child,  
Will bring back the queen.  
Her evil will spread, and spread forever.  
The ocean will fall  
in her hands,  
Revenge at her fingertips.  
The blood of her child,  
will bring back the queen._

"Oh, Hali," Attina sighed, "please don't tell me it means what I think it means."

"I believe that Tiamat is the queen of the prophecy, and" Hali couldn't help but pause, for a sudden chill ran down her spine, "and Adelaide is the child."

"Adelaide!" shouted the king, "But that mean's..."

"How is the search for Adelaide going, Grandpa?" Hali interrupted.

"All my guards have returned empty handed."

Hali could hear the ache in King Triton's voice as he answered her question. That was conformation of her worst fear."

"I think she may have been kidnapped by Murkens," Hali explained, to gasps of concern "but I can't be sure. That's why I wanted to speak to Cricket. I was sure she held the answer to all my questions. But now..."

Hali was too hurt, and disgusted with her self to finish her sentence. Instead, she slumped backwards into her chair.

"Hali?" she recognized the voice of her eldest Aunt.

"Yes, Aunt Attina?" Hali questioned, her head still looking downward in shame.

"Where were you last night?"

"Last night?" Hali panicked.

"Yes, last night," the temporary queen reiterated, "last night, when Adelaide disappeared, Cricket fill into a coma, and Serene began spurting a strange language when she touched _your_ glowing book. Don't you think, Hali, that you should have been here, when your family needed you most? Instead, you were just... gone. Know one could say where you were, or where you had gone?"

Attina's voice was calm, yet irritated, and ice cold. How did mother's accomplish that, Hali wondered.

"I-I, um," Sputtered Hali, "You see, I simply..."

Just then, the doors to the conference room burst open, and Cricket's form was hovering in the doorway.

"She _snuck_ out, so that she could _make _out with Xavier!" Cricket squealed, obviously quote amused with herself.

"Hali!" Attina gasped incredulously, "It is not becoming of a princess to go off gallivanting with a young man, in until the wee small hours of the morning. I'm afraid, that your parents are going to have to hear about this."

Hali could feel her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment, when Cricket took it upon herself to speak again.

"Oh, Mother, really!" Cricket heaved in aggravation, "she's not a little girl anymore, besides, we have much more urgent matters to discuss than Hali's love life."

"Cricket," Merrick began in an annoyingly superior voice, "this is no place for young naive girls, like yourself. Now, swim along."

Cricket rolled her eyes, completely ignoring her brother's delusion, of his having _any_ control over _her_ life.

"I remember!" shouted the mermaid, "I remember everything."

Hali's heart instantly began pounding in her chest. This was the best news that she had heard all day.

"Have a seat, Cricket," Hali said quickly, gesturing to a chair next to her, "and talk fast."

"Well, I woke up in the middle of the night, because of Jade's awful snores. I don't know how she will ever find a husband that way..."

"Please, Cricket," Attina admonished, "just the essential detail. We haven't got much time to waste."

"Upon waking up, I heard some strange noises, well voices actually. So, I went to investigate. I followed the sound of voices to Adelaide's nursery, and that's when I saw them."

"Saw who?" interrogated King Triton.

"Three merman, huddled around Adelaide's cradle, speaking a language I did not understand."

"Were they Murkens?" asked Hali.

"Oh, yes," answered Cricket, "they were definitely Murkens. They looked exactly like Tiamat. Two of the merman were older, like middle aged, but there was a younger merman with them too. I think he was their leader."

"What happened next?" inquired Hali.

"Yes," added Attina, "why didn't you alert the guards, alert anybody."

"Do you think I'm stupid, Mother!" Cricket screeched, her feeling having been hurt, "I was going to do that, but the young merman noticed me. I swam away, as quickly as I could, but he caught up with me. I asked him who he was, but he didn't give me a name. He only spoke one strange word, 'Miegs,' and that's where my memory stops. The next thing I remember, is waking up, to everyone crowding around my bed."

The group had plunged into silence, and Hali could tell that they were all digesting everything that Cricket had just related to them.

"Miegs is an Ancient Murken spell," Hali explained to the group, "it roughly translates to sleep. I suppose it has a memory reversal embedded somewhere in it."

Merrick took one look at the puzzled expression of his cousin's face as asked, "Is there anything else, Hali? You look... pained."

"It's just that, he could have killed Cricket if he wanted to. Why would he choose to put her to sleep? Unless..."

"Unless what?" King Triton had grown increasingly worried at the conversation wore on.

"Unless he, whoever _he_ is, wanted us to find him."

The group became silent once again, contemplating what the next move should be.

Finally, King Triton spoke, "Everyone go to bed, I will double the security around the castle for the time being. At first light tomorrow, I will send every last guard I can spare to the waters of Murk. Adelaide will be found."

"No!" screamed Hali, to a collection of black stares on her relatives faces.

"What?" The King's voice rumbled ominously.

"If you send a large group of heavily armed guards, you will only be alerting the entire kingdom of Murk! All I need is my spell book. I'll go, and I'll leave tonight. We've wasted enough time here, already."

"Hali," King Triton said considerably more gently, "I can't very well send my granddaughter out alone on such a dangerous mission."

"I'm going with or without your approval, grandpa," Hali informed sternly.

King Triton could see the determination in the girl's azure eyes, and knew that it was a battle he was destined to loose. He remembered how impossible it was to get Ariel to comply, when his youngest daughter developed that same glint in her eyes, and Hali was so much like Ariel.

The King let out a heavy sigh, "Fine you may go, but Merrick will accompany you, and you will leave tomorrow."

Hali was about to argue both points, but she didn't want to press her luck any further.

"Merrick is more than welcome to travel with me, but we leave tonight."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Voila! Another chapter of _Ocean Star_ for your enjoyment, dear readers.

Also, I have completed the _Little Mermaid Limericks_. Check out the last few poems, and be sure to let me know what you think!

Now, I would like to introduce you to someone who is very special to me. Everyone, meet Ember! She is my pet baby dragon that Anima gave to me. Anima is writing a wonderful story called _Misunderstood Melodies_. I urge you to check it out. Ember has beautiful scarlet scales, except the very tip of her tail is a deep shade of regal purple. My, she is beautiful!

When you're a rebel, you're a rebel. You don't go finding friends to like. Why don't you grab your blasted pebble, and take yourself a healthy hike,

xJadeRainx

Just one more thing before I leave, Happy birthday to Ariel and the rest of the _Little Mermaid_ crew! You are 20 years old, today!

Thanks Hans Christian Andersen for creating the tale we have all grown to know and love, and thank you to the producers/directors Ron Clements, John Musker, and Howard Ashman. Thank you, Alan Menken for all your wonderful music that I have just paid tribute to in my own _Little Mermaid Limericks_. And of course, a very special thank you to Jodi Benson, the iconic voice of Ariel, our little mermaid.

11/17/09


	33. Chapter 33: Setting Out

Hali did not desire to waste anymore time. Murk was quite the distance from Atlantica, and the kidnappers had gotten a huge head start on them. What was worse, Hali was feeling exhausted, but sleep would have to wait. Getting to Murk was the easy part. Finding and rescuing Adelaide was going to be a difficult task, no doubt. Not to mention, that Hali had no clue what the Murken's plans for Adelaide was. All Hali knew, was that whatever they were planning, required the baby's blood, and that single thought, instilled shivers throughout her petite body.

Finally, Hali turned to her older cousin, Merrick, "Go and pack your provisions, now, coz. We're in for a long swim."

Merrick pounded his chest, as if he were some sort of warrior, "I'm in charge here, Hali."

The Guardian only stared at him, and said, "Uh, no."

Merrick immediately swam off towards his quarters to procure some provisions for the trip. Murk was probably the furthest kingdom from Atlantica than any other merkingdom in the sea. They would likely need to stop in Mediterrania to restock for their journey. This was not an excursion either Hali or Merrick was looking forward to.

Just then, a familiar voice piped up determinedly, "I'm going too!"

Everyone left in the room simply gawked at Cricket in total bafflement. The girl had only woken from a coma, and regained the part of her memory that was missing, and she honestly believed anyone was going to allow her out of their sight. Attina would die before she ever allowed for that to happen.

"No, you're not, Cricket," both her parents spoke in calm unison.

Then Attina added, "You are going to bed, so that you can rest, dear."

"But," protested an adamant Cricket, "I don't _need_ rest! Why won't anyone listen to me?"

"Go to you're room Cricket," ordered Attina, "we'll talk about this in the morning."

The tone in Attina's voice suggested that the conversation had just been ended. Any further arguing, would be beyond futile. So, taking the hint, Cricket moodily swam out of the conference room, and back towards her bedchambers, where Jade was by now, heavily snoring away. However, Cricket did convey her frustrations to the group, by mumbling to her self, as she left. Her words, weren't entirely audible, but Hali did catch, 'stupid,', 'never listen,' and, 'not tired, dammit!'

When Cricket had gone, Andrina looked at Hali and said, "Darling, shouldn't you be packing what you need for the journey as well?"

Andrina was right, of course, but Hali still had one tiny issue to discuss. Actually, it really wasn't tiny, at all. The issue would unimaginably serious for Andrina and Lamar.

"Yes," began Hali tentatively, "I'll do that in a minute, but first..."

Andrina could sense that something was amiss, and that Hali was about to deliver, yet again, some more shocking news.

"But first what, Hali?" Andrina asked, doing her best to hide the fear that was creeping into her voice.

Hali drew in a deep breath, before announcing, "I need to take Serene with me."

As soon as she finished the sentence, Hali immediately winced, preparing herself for the bombardment of yells, and protests from the deserving alarmed adults.

"What?" Andrian and Lamar cried out in despair.

"You can't be serious," Attina added with a sigh.

"But she's just a baby!" Andrina shrieked again.

"I know she is young, maybe even two young," Hali was well aware that her words were in no way comforting, "but Serene _is_ the Ocean's Star, and I'm going to need her."

Neither Andrina nor Lamar wanted to be the cause of preventing Adelaide's safe return, so the parents had no other option but to give their consent. For the first time in Serene's short life, she would be venturing far past Atlantica's boarders, an on a dangerous mission, no less.

* * *

Serene was really quite cranky, when Hali had gone into their room to wake the soundly sleeping child. Hali hated to to it too, but they needed to leave immediately. Further, the little mermaid could not understand why Hali had ordered her to leave Darwin behind. She never went anywhere without her best friend Darwin, period. What's more, poor, irritated Serene didn't even know where they were heading. And why weren't Mommy, Daddy, and Kelvin tagging along?

Hali and Serene met up with Merrick outside the castle. They had only swam a few strokes towards their destination, and little Serene was already falling asleep mid stroke. Hali didn't have any ideas, as to how the girl managed to do that. The Guardian effortlessly scooped up the little mermaid, and deposited her into Merrick's arms.

"You can carry her, Merrick," giggled Hali.

"Gee, thanks," he answered in sarcasm, "I am ever so grateful. How can I ever repay you, Hali?"

"Oh, don't mention it," Hali replied, patting him on his shoulder, "what are cousins for?"

Merrick had had enough of the disruptive banter. After all, they did have a task at hand, so they might as well get a move on it, now.

"Let's go, Hali," he ordered.

"Let me remind you," began Hali, "that I am the leader of this expedition, Merrick. Besides, we still have one short stop to make."

"Where?"

"The Catfish Cabana."

* * *

Hali had told Merrick to wait outside with Serene, while she said a quick goodbye to Xavier. She couldn't very well leave without a word. Xavier might think that she had changed her mind, and never wanted to see him agin, or something awful like that. Besides, it was only going to take a moment.

The Cabana was bustling with activity as usual. Merfolk crowded the inside of the club, dancing, sinning, and blocking all the pathways. Still, Hali spotted Xavier behind the bar. She wondered if he had gotten any better at mixing merdrinks. The old adage was, practice makes perfect, after all.

When Hali finally reached the bar, she swam behind the counter, without warning, and planted a deep kiss on Xavier's lips.

"That's got to be unsanitary," a familiar redheaded mermaid uttered in disgust.

Both Hali and Xavier ignored the terrible Tallulah, and simply enjoyed their kiss. That was, until Sebastian came sauntering over in a ugly rage.

"What be goin' on, ere, mon?" the crab demanded.

However, the two young lovers didn't seem to hear Sebastian, as they were the only two merfolk under the sea.

"What brings you here?" Xavier smiled at her.

"I just needed to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Xavier repeated in confusion, as his smile slowly faded from his face, "Where are you going? Back to Shireland?"

"No," Hali admitted, albeit hesitantly, "I'm headed off to Murk?"

"Murk!" Xavier gasped, "isn't that where Tiamat is from?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you going there?" he demanded.

"Adelaide's been kidnapped, and I have to go save her."

"That settles it, then," Xavier said thoughtfully, "Sebastian, I quit... again."

"What!" Sebastian steamed, "boy, if ya walk out dat door, I'll neva gif ya a job again!"

"Yes you will," laughed Xavier, who then turned to Hali, "you didn't think that I was going to let you swim off in dangerous water, without me to protect you, Hali?"

With that, Xavier grabbed Hali by the hand, and they hurriedly swam out the door of the catfish club. And Hali was surprised to find, that Sebastian was firmly clamped to the ends of her chartreuse fins.


	34. Chapter 34: Getting Almost Nowhere

Sebastian wasn't exactly Hali's favorite crab at the moment, so as soon as they were outside the club, Hali attempted to violently shake the crustacean from her fins. Sebastian was forced to hold on for dear life, as Hali's tail swished wildly through the water. When Hali finally saw that the crab wasn't going anywhere, she abandoned her efforts. Sebastian was safe for now.

"What's the big idea, Sebastian?" Hali questioned harshly.

"I'm sorry, Hali," apologized Sebastien, "I know I haf been a liddle crabby lately."

"Maybe just a little," Hali said, as she narrowed her eyes.

"If Adelaide's in trouble mon,' began Sebastian, "den I wanna 'elp find 'er. I'm 'er Godfadder, after all."

"Actually, Sebastian, the group is already larger than I had first expected. I don't think I need anyone else to tag along."

"Please, Hali," begged Sebastian, "I'll do anyting, mon."

"_Anything_..."

"Yes, anyting," the crab repeated.

"Then you'll let me call you Seby without any complaints."

"Yes, of course," Sebastian answered absentmindedly, "wait a minute, what ya say, girl?"

"It's okay, Seby, I forgive you," Hali said cheerily.

"Hey, Sebastian?" Xavier asked, "who's in charge of the Cabana, right now?"

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah works in your club, Seby?" the words left a terrible taste in Hali's mouth.

Sebastian cringed slightly at the sound of his nickname, "She dos now, mon. I jus hire her two minutes ago."

"You know," began Xavier, "the club will be bankrupt in a week, tops. She'll drive all the customers away with her sour disposition, and then she'll consume all the booze."

"Oh well," Sebastian said with almost a smile, "i miss my ole job wid de King, anyhow."

"Alright guys," Hali urged with all the seriousness that she could muster, "let's go. Murk is a long ways from here."

And so, the odd looking group began their journey towards the darkest, iciest corner of the ocean. How any merperson could stand to make a home in such a place was far beyond Hali's comprehension. Obviously the lengthy swim wasn't going to be fun for anyone involved, yet at the same time, it was sort of a blessing. It was an understatement to say that Murk was far away from Atlantica. Literally, the trip could take days. The blessing was, that despite the kidnappers head start, they couldn't possibly have yet reached Murk. That must mean, that Adelaide was safe, for the time being, at least.

Somewhere along the way, Serene woke up, and wriggled her way out of Merrick's arms. She wasn't a baby and hated to be carried like one. Something like that was downright degrading to a big girl, like herself. Imagine Serene's unpleasant surprise when she found that her number one, enemy, Xavier was coming along with them, on this journey.

"What's _he_, doing here?" complained the little blond mermaid.

"Serene," Hali began gently, "Xavier is here to help us."

"So what?" pouted Serene, "You wouldn't let me bring Darwin, but_ he_ had to come!"

"Serene," Hali gently chided, "We're going to find Adelaide and bring her back home, so, you can't be cranky, okay? Now, go make nice with Xavier."

Xavier held out his hand so the merchild could shake it. Serene did accept Xavier's hand, but only so she could give him a good bite.

"Ouch!"

"Serene!" Hali cried, "Apologize to him. You're mommy taught you better than that!"

"I can't help him," the child said innocently, "I don't like him, Hali."

Ever since the merchild had heard that Xavier was the cause of her favorite cousin's broken heart, she had vowed to wage war on him. Still, it was an amusing thought. Hali wanted to laugh at Serene's words, but she knew that she shouldn't reinforce the behavior.

The Guardian simply looked Serene directly in her big brown eyes, and said, "Serene, you're a big girl now, right?

"A huh," answered the child.

"Do big girls say mean thins to people, then?"

"Yes," Serene answered decidedly, "Ambrosia says mean thing to me all the time. Once she said that Darwin wasn't real. She called him a stupid toy!"

The little mermaid suddenly crossed her arms in a distressed manner. Seemingly, the memory of Ambrosia and her hateful words made Serene unhappy.

"And how did that make you feel?" asked Hali.

"Really bad," the girl admitted, "but then I told Aunt Adella, and Ambrosia got punished!"

Again, Hali was forced to suppress her amusement.

"Well, when you bit Xavier and said mean thing to him, Serene, it made him feel bad."

"Really?" Serene looked utterly heartbroken at this revelation.

"Yes, really," Hali repeated, who then gave Xavier a gentle nudge to the side of his ribcage.

Xavier picked up on her hint immediately, and buried his face in his hands, pretending to cry. Serene could take this, no longer. The mergirl could scarcely bear the fact, that she had caused another living being such anguish. She needed to set things right, this instant.

The small child patted Xavier on the shoulder and cooed, "There, there, Xavier. Don't cry. I'll kiss your boo-boo if it still hurts. I'm sorry, really."

"That's okay, sweetheart," Xavier said kindly, "I forgive you. Do you think we could be friends now?"

"Yes," the girl answered shyly.

Serene quite obviously blushed at Xavier's calling her 'sweetheart'. It seemed the girl had developed a bit of a crush on her older cousin's boyfriend, and with Serene's charms, Hali could be in for some stiff, honest competition.

"Excellent," Hali sighed, "now for about the hundredth tome today, can we continue our journey. At this rate, we won't reach Mediterrania until tomorrow night!"

* * *

Hali's crew had swam for another solid two hours, and Serene began to feel sleepy again. This wasn't surprising considering, the child was so small, and had never made more than a twenty minuet swim before in her life. It took merpeople years to develop the kind of endurance this trip called for.

"Serene, if you're getting tired, Merrick could carry you for a while," Hali told the little girl.

"No!" whined Serene.

"No, what?" Hali asked, "no, you're not tired?"

"No," repeated Serene, "I want Xavier to carry me!"

"Oh, okay," Hali grinned, "you heard her, Xavier. She wants _you _to carry her!"

So, Xavier scooped the young child in his arms, and the group swam on for another few miles. At one point, Xavier noticed a terribly distressed look on Hali face.

"Hali?" Xavier spoke softly, so as not to disturb Serene who was sleeping blissfully in his arms, "is something wrong? I mean, other than Adelaide being kidnapped?"

Hali found herself shuddering, "I don't know, it's just..."

"It's just what?" Merrick asked.

"I can't shake this feeling that we're being followed."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah**

Greetings from Mars, dear readers! I'm so glad to see you all again.

Did you like this chapter? I hope so. It was a filler, and I know that those can be boring sometimes, so I tried to incorporate as much comedy as I could into the chapter. I'm quite pleased with the result, actually!

Who would have thought, that all this time, Serene had a crush on Xavier? How cute! Hali better watch out...

Some of you have addressed concerns because Hali made Serene leave Darwin behind. You see, Darwin would be too much of a distraction to Serene. Picture this scenario: Hali and the others are being chased by a slew of angry, evil Murkens and Serene drops Darwin, in their attempt to escape with their lives. What would Serene do next? She would bravely say, "I'll save you, Drawin!" And then what? She could be captured, or worse, killed! IS that what any of you want? I should hope not!

So, everyone, Ember is growing everyday. She is so adorable. You may be interested to hear, that Ember is teething right now, and is chewing up all my furniture. Just like a big, fire breathing puppy...

Sometimes I wonder what the colors mean, Why the sea is green like your eyes,

xJadeRainx


	35. Chapter 35: Stalker

Hali, Merrick, and Xavier each surveyed their surroundings. Could they really have been followed, all this time? Not by the looks of things. All any of them could see, was deposits of seaweed, kelp, a coral reef, some stray fish, but aside from that, there was nothing but the vast expanse of the sea. Still, Hali couldn't help but feel uneasy. The Guardian could sense that someone else was present, albeit hidden somewhere. The big question being, was this individual a friend, or foe? Knowing their luck, thought Hali, it was more than likely a foe.

"Let's move on," Merrick ordered, "there's nothing here, and we still have a long way, before we reach Mediterrania, you know that."

Hali sighed because she was still receiving foreboding vibes, yet she knew that her cousin was right. They were already far behind schedule. So, the Guardian turned an about face, rejoining her crew, and continuing on with their journey. They swam for maybe another fifteen minutes, when Hali stopped again. Someone was following them, she was certain of that much, at least. Hali spun around abruptly, hoping to catch the culprit in action. There was no such luck.

"What is it now?" questioned Merrick.

"We're being followed. I just know it."

"There's nothing..." Merrick's sentence was cut short, due to Hali's exclamation.

"Look there!"

"What are we supposed to be looking at, exactly?" Merrick asked, stealing a glance at Xavier, who looked just as confused. If either man didn't know better, they would have sworn that they were the only merpeole left alive in the sea.

"That deceptively dense patch of kelp just moved."

"Hali, this is the ocean!" Merrick cried out in annoyance, "all the plants sway here!"

"I know that," the Guardian glared at her older cousin, "but it wasn't just a simple, swaying motion. It looked more like it had just been disturbed."

"Disturbed?"

"Yes, disturbed," repeated Hali, "as if by a person, or at least an animal."

"You mean like a shark," Merrick began tugging at Hali's arm, "let's go, now."

Hali somehow managed to wrench her arm out of Merrick's tight grip, and began swimming towards the kelp patch. Xavier immediately handed the still sleeping Serene to Merrick, and raced after his love.

He caught her up, by the arm, and said, "No, Hali. It could be dangerous."

Hali only looked at Xavier in disbelief, and scoffed, "I'm going in there, Xavier. If you like it or not."

Xavier shook his head forcefully, "I'll go in, then. You stay here."

Hali might have protested, as usual, but she didn't see any point in costing Xavier his manhood. Especially, since Serene had just woken up, most likely because she noticed the difference between Merrick's and Xavier's arms. The little mergirl was watching intently, and swooning at Xavier's every move. Hali simply, couldn't pass up the opportunity of letting Xavier come across as a hero. Additionally, if anything were to go wrong, she always had her spell book to protect him, and Hali had become rather skillful at crafting her own spells, now. What could possibly go wrong?

Xavier slowly advanced towards the patch of kelp, and when he finally reached the plant, he began pushing aside the dense, green blades. Then, suddenly, a medium sized figure, sprang forward in a frenzy, form it's hiding place. The stealthy merperson lunged at Xavier, wrapping her arms around Xavier's neck.

"How ya doin', Xa-Xa!"

"Cricket!" each member of the group cried out in shock.

"The one and only," grinned the mermaid.

"What are you doing here?" demanded Hali.

"I wanted to come save Adelaide too, you know," but nobody listens to me. I am _so_, not tired right now. And if a baby like Serene can tag along..."

"I'm a big girl, Cricket!" an indignant Serene piped up, "not a dumb old baby!"

Merrick hushed the little girl, so Hali could continue, "You were following us, all this time, Cricket?"

"A huh," she answered simply, "I knew that if I let you guys see me too early, that you wold only escort me home."

"And now it's too late to turn back, and I suppose if I ordered you back to Atlantica, you wouldn't return home, would you?" Hali had caught on to the teenager's plan.

"Nope."

"What about your parents?" asked Hali.

"What?" Cricket said innocently, "I left them a note!"

"Fine," Hali sighed, "but I'm going to have Merrick watching you like a mother sea lion. I don't need Aunt Attina ready to murder me, come back injured, or dead, Cricket."

The mermaid open her mouth to argue, something teenagers everywhere were adept to, whether they lived on land or under the sea. Unfortunately, Hali interrupted her.

"Best behavior, Cricket," Hali warned, "now come on, we need to get to Mediterrania, and you've just cost us some more valuable time."

Hali turned to find, Serene nuzzling closely to Xavier's chest, and Merrick was far beyond the point of irritation. In fact, he was downright furious that his little sister would pull a stunt like this.

Turning to Merrick, Hali grumbled, "watch her like a hawk."

"A what?"

"I mean, like a mother sea lion," Hali corrected herself.

Merrick snorted at himself, "you don't have to tell me twice."

With that, the group set out yet again. Why was it, that Hali found her crew growing in number at an alarming rate. She had suggested that her grandfather not send out a squadron of guards, so as not to alert the Murkens. Instead, their enemies, would be confronted by a squadron of armatures. Hali only prayed that her group would be sufficient enough. Little Adelaide was depending on them.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

What was Cricket thinking? Attina and the rest of the family are going to be beyond angry with that girl! I hope Hali and the gang can get to Adelaide in time. What could those terrible Murkens be up to? And how does Adelaide fit into all of this. Too bad, you'll never find out. I've decided to quit this writing business... just kidding! Check back soon, for another exciting update! Did I have any of you scared, about who the "stalker" was?

Ember wants me to say hello to you all. She's learning to fly, with her little scarlet wings now. Ember is just about the brightest baby dragon ever! Only three days old, and already mastering flight! Ember promises to do a special trick for you, if you review!

If you say no, miss, if you refuse, this is your notice that I refuse to lose,

xJadeRainx

PS. Converse r life, Cricket called Xavier, "Xa-Xa," in your honor.


	36. Chapter 36: Mediterrania

If Sam thought that he knew the meaning of the word awkward, he was in fact, mistaken. The captain made a mental note to himself, a reminder to alter the word's definition. Sam and the rest of the _Leviathan's_ crew, were quickly falling on bad times. The ship was still far from being sea worthy, they were steadily running out of money, mainly due to the activities of the sailors over legal drinking age, and what's worse, their food supply was dangerously low. None of his lazy, drunken companions were too keen on the idea of finding a job to help ease the financial difficulties, on top of working their dehydrated fingers to the bone, with the _Oak Leviathan's_ repairs. All this, prompted the captain to do something desperate, something he was beginning to regret.

The King had not given up on his quest of having Sam join his navy, despite his multiple times refusing the offer. During one of Eric's visits, the king had graciously extended Sam's crew an invitation to the palace for diner. Naturally, the captain had at first refused the invitation, but hunger will drive a man to do crazy things. The next thing Sam knew, he and his entire crew were seated round a large banquet table, in the presence of they royal family, save Hali, of course.

Sam had tried to clean himself up the best he could, but unfortunately, the captain couldn't not say as much for his crew, who sat in dingy, sea ratted clothing, with dirt embedded deep in their fingernails. The young Pip and Squeak had turned their nosed up at everything set before them, and seemed to prefer, for reasons incomprehensible to Sam their usual meager meal of dried beef jerky, and stale biscuits. Having left off eating, the two brothers were engaged in some sort of game underneath the dinner table. Spider thought it prudent to use one of the queen's ornate forks to comb out all the knots in his blond hair, covering the utensil in ungodly amounts of dried sea salt. Sam winced in mortification, but noticed that Eric simply smiled and gave his wife a playful nudge, who i n turn smiled at the boy. The captain was also forced to kick Mullet sharply in the shins, because the ingrate was not so subtly stuffing his pockets with obviously expensive silverware, and other odds and ends belonging to the king and queen.

"Drop everything that doesn't belo0ng to you, Mullet, now," Sam growled under his breath.

Mullet defiantly ignored the captain's demand, and continue filling his pockets. That's when Sam stepped on the ogre's big toe, with a heavy boot, causing Mullet to yelp out in pain, but at least, he began to empty his pockets, shoving everything under the table. To make matter's worse, Piper was against coming to the palace with a fierce intensity, an now, having lost the battle, was staring daggers at Sam communicating his perturbation. More than anything, Sam just wanted to leave, and forget that this nightmare ever happened. The captain would have rather braved his chances with the Midgard Serpent, than be in the palace any longer. Well, at least they had gotten a hot meal out of the experience.

Finally, The queen spoke, "Well, it's getting late, er, gentlemen..."

Sam would never find out how Ariel had indented to finish her thought, because her husband subtly cut her off.

"Yes," the king began, "you are all more than welcome to sleep the night at the palace, of course."

Ariel said nothing, but she did offer a fake smile. Sam only recognized it, because he had been flashing his own fake smiles all night. Meanwhile, Melody, who hadn't spoken a single word, throughout the entire dinner, snorted at the words 'sleep the night'. Judging by the dark circles beneath both of her eyes, Sam could tell Melody hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in days. Well, he couldn't blame her for that.

"No thank you, Your Majesties," Sam politely turned down, having taken notice of Piper's face that conveyed a stern, 'no', "but my crew will return to our ship where we will feel more at home."

With that, the night was ended, and Sam couldn't have been any more relieved.

* * *

When Hali first caught sight of Mediterrania, she could have sang out in her jubilation. However, she was far to weary, for that sort of strenuous activity. It was nearly midnight before the group had reached the well populated mervillage. All Hali desired at the moment was o locate the nearest inn, and get something to eat, and rest for what little time they had left, before the sun rose.

They hadn't swam long before Cricket spotted one. The inn, looked questionable, at the least, but that didn't matter. Hali and the others weren't there on a pleasure stay, anyway. Merrick knocked loudly upon the inn door, enough to wake the dead. The merman wanted to insure that the innkeeper would hear them. Merrick succeeded, for a cantankerous merman soon answered the door.

"What do you kids want?" he snarled, rubbing sleep from his eyes,

His poor people skills, took Hali aback, however she did not let her impression show.

"We only seek lodging until morning," Hali replied in a dignified tone.

The shop keeper was puzzled. Only two nights ago, another group of merfolk had come pounding at the door, demanding entry to his inn. What in Poseidon's name was going on? Quite frankly, he didn't care.

"Ten clams a piece," grunted the innkeeper, his eyes lighting up with greed.

"Ten clams, a piece!" Merrick shouted at the merman indignantly, "that's outlandish!"

"W haven't got that many clams between us," Hali replied a little more calmly, "please, sir. It's only until the morning..."

"No clams, no beds," the innkeeper answered rudely, as he made to shut the door.

When the should have slammed closed, a delicate hand blocked the door's way. Ever so slowly, the door was opened again.

"Father, it isn't good business, to turn away customers," a young mergirl winked at Hali, "besides they have a child with them."

The mergirl gestured to Serene, who was draped over Xavier's back, like a knapsack, sleeping innocently. It seemed that the innkeeper, though rough around the edges, had a soft spot for his lovely daughter. Without any further protests, the merman allowed Hali's crew into his inn.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

The Midgard Serpent is a sea monster from Norse Mythology.

Sam, concerned about being polite? How cute! But, not as cute as Spider using a dinglehopper , and Ariel smiling about it. If you don't know, the story of Hali and Sam, is now being told from the perspective of our favorite sailor! Have you looked at it yet?

Why hasn't Melody gotten any sleep lately? You tell me!

What a mean innkeeper, huh? Thank goodness for his kindhearted daughter!

There's something new, and almost kind,

xJadeRainx

PS: I posted a song on the website www . red karaoke . com (no spaces). My user name on the sight is JadeRain (no "X's" this time). Be sure to check it out, and let me know what you think. **I** think, you'll like it.


	37. Chapter 37: Women Scorned

Ariel woke up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. Hali hadn't even bothered to make contact with the family in days. Ariel was quite irritated with her daughter. After all, she had raised the girl better than that. The queen rolled over on her side, and silently watch Eric sleep for a moment. Ariel loved her husband, but she couldn't understand how the idiot could be sleeping like a baby. Wasn't he the least bit curious why their little girl ran off to Atlantica so suddenly, without saying why? Finally, no longer able to contain her displeasure, Ariel pushed her husband off the edge of the bed. Eric let out a yelp of surprise as he hit the carpeted floor. It wasn't long before the king's head popped back up, with his black hair disheveled.

"What just happened?" he asked confused.

"Eric, are you okay? Ariel gave a convincing gasp, "you must have rolled off the bed."

"I'm fine, love," Eric replied, climbing back into bed, "the soft carpet broke my fall."

Ariel laid in bed for a while, staring up at the ceiling. She sighed, and swung her legs, gracefully over the edged of the bed, and got to her feet.

"Ariel?" Eric murmured, as Ariel tided her pink silk robed closed.

"Yes, Eric?" she questioned absentmindedly.

"Where are you going?"

"I can't sleep," the queen replied, "I'm going to take a walk along the beach."

"A walk?" Erick croaked, "the sun hasn't even risen, yet. Come back to bed, love. I'll keep you warm. I promise."

Ariel smiled to herself. Ever since Eric had captured that dreadful pirate woman, he seemed to have reverted back to his eighteen year old self. It was beyond cute, but his lack of concern for Hali's whereabouts, was beginning to alarm her. She needed a husband now, not another child to worry about.

"I won't be long Eric," Ariel promised.

"Fine," Eric grunted, and rolled over, "but I'm going back to bed."

Before Ariel even had the chance to walk out of the door, she could hear the sounds of Eric's snoring fill the room. Ariel slipped down the hallways, quiet as a ghost. She had become an expert and making silent escapes to the beach, as a young homesick bride. As she passed the guest room, Melody was using, Ariel heard the young woman pacing the floors while humming, a sweet, soft tune. Lance still had not returned from Westland. Whatever trouble King Leroy had gotten his kingdom into, must have been pretty serious. He hadn't even seen Melody since he first left. Sure, he wrote to her faithfully, but that's no excuse. What was wrong with men, these days.

* * *

Attina was just as restless as her baby sister up on land. She had had half a mind to chase after Cricket as soon as she discovered that the girl was missing. Only, her father had understandably taken the news of Adelaide's kidnapping pretty badly, and the stress wasn't good for him. Attina couldn't very well have just left her old father alone, and consequently abandon Atlantica. What's worse, her imbecile of a husband, had said, 'Cricket is Cricket, Attina. She's grown now. Every merperson has to learn to care for themselves eventually.' Attina's lips curled at the memory of her husband's words. She turned to face the sleeping Marin, and pushed him off the edge of the clam shell bed, in her annoyance.

"Ouch!" she heard Marin cry out.

"Marin, what happened?" Attina pretended that she had just woken up.

"I must have fell off the bed," Marin replied, rubbing his arm that bore the brunt of his fall, "that''s strange. The last time that happened was two years ago, when I had forgotten our anniversary."

"That is strange," Attina covered her moth with her hand, to suppress a giggle.

Then, Attina swam out of bed, wordlessly, to the surprise of her husband.

"Where are you heading off too, dear?" Marin asked in confusion, "you should get some sleep."

"I'm going to the surface."

"At this hour, Attina?"

"Yes," sighed his wife, "I just want to hear the crickets, um, what does Ariel call it? Oh, yes, I just want to hear the crickets chirp. They should still be out at this time. I won't be long, I promise."

* * *

Ariel was pleased to feel the fine grains of sand beneath her dainty feet. She strolled just along the edge of the shore, gazing out over the ocean. The half moon, illuminated the water very prettily, and Ariel felt at peace, that was until she noticed that surface of the water was being disturbed. Her first thought was that it was Hali, popping out from the sea to say hello. Imagine the level of Ariel's surprise when she saw the face of her sister rise up from the water. The queen hiked up her robe and nightgown to her knees, and waded deeper into the sea.

"Attina!" Ariel called out, "Attina! What are you doing here?"

"I came to hear the crickets chirp," answered her sister.

"Why?" Ariel wrinkled her nose in confusion.

That was when Attina realized that Ariel was completely unaware of the events that had taken place in the past week. How could she have forgotten to tell her sister? Attina chastised herself. She really needed to learn and be more considerate for the feelings of others.

"Um, Ariel," Attina began in unsure tone.

"What is it, Attina," Ariel frowned, because she knew very well that when Attina used that tone of voice, she was about to deliver some bad news.

"Hali isn't in Atlantica, right now."

"What!" shrieked the queen.

"Let me explain from the beginning," Attina said calmly.

"Yes, explain," Ariel narrowed her eyes.

"Well, apparently, Hali came down to Atlantica, to discover an Ocean Star, who ended up being Serene. Only, we didn't realized it until after Adelaide was kidnapped, and Cricket slipped into a coma."

"Say that again, Attina," Ariel said breathlessly.

"Adelaide has been kidnapped by Murkens," answered Attina.

"Murkens!" Ariel shivered, "I thought we saw the end of them. How's Daddy?"

"How do you think? He's miserable."

"What do they want with Adelaide."

"That's the disturbing part, Ariel," Attina tried to explain, "Serene can look into the future, and it seems that the Murkens need Adelaide's blood for something or other."

Ariel felt her legs give out from under her, and she quickly whispered the word, fins. Feeling musch more safe, in the ocean, with her trusty tail.

"Her blood?" Ariel nearly cried.

""Hali and Merrick left to rescue her."

"Their going into Murken territory!" Ariel gasped, "that's crazy, Attina!"

"That's not all," Attina winced.

"It's not?"

"I'm afraid so, dear," Attina began, "They needed to take Serene, because she's the star, and all. Oh, and that Xavier boy went along too."

"Xavier!" Ariel exclaimed, "I thought he had gone after Hali, but how did he get his fins?"

"You mean Hali didn't kiss him?"

"She couldn't have," Ariel replied, "they weren't even on speaking terms when she left for Atlantica."

"Huh?" Attina mused, "I didn't know they were angry with each other. Well, they seemed to have made up since then, that's for sure."

"Wat's that supposed to mean?"

"Well she had snuck out of the palace, the night Adelaide disappeared. No one knew where she was, and it wasn't until later that we found out she had spent the night with Xavier."

"What!" yelled Ariel, "Of all the irresponsible things!"

Ariel was fuming. Young girls should not behave like that. Ever. Oh, she was going to tell Eric. That should spark some sort of reaction out of him. That girl was in a world of trouble, worrying her parent's like that.

"Oh, shut up, Ariel!" snapped Attina, "you're not the only one who's daughter disappeared."

Ariel looked at her older sister empathetically, "What did Cricket do now?"

"She followed Hali and the others to Murk, I just know it," Attina sighed, "And what's worse, Marin doesn't even seem concerned at all. I'll bet Eric never acts like that."

"You'd be surprised," Ariel replied darkly.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Ha! Ariel and Attina, and Eric and Marin are more alike then people might think, huh? Well, for any of you who were curious about how the two mothers were dealing with all this drama, tadah!

This is dedicated to the one and only Converse r life. I promise the next chapter will answer your request about Hali, and her search for baby Adelaide. Do you forgive me now?

I want walk like you, talk like you too,

xJadeRainx


	38. Chapter 38: Clearing the Air

Ariel was already fully dressed, and was waiting patiently for her sleeping husband to finally wake. If the news she was about to drop on Eric's poor ear drums didn't raise his interest in Hali, than nothing would. Finally, the antique mahogany grandfather clock, chimed, it's loud gongs filling the room. It was seven o'clock, time for the king and queen to begin their royal day.

Eric, rolled over, with a sleepy smile stretched across his face, and was surprised to find that his wife was already clothed, and sitting in a large arm chair near their balcony door.

"Ariel?" Eric teased, "You're up already? No bargaining, and pleading needed? But, it's a ritual!"

"Good morning, Eric," Ariel greeted dryly.

Her tone caused Eric to sit up in the king sized bed he shared his wife.

"Okay," he sighed, "what did I do now?"

"Nothing," Ariel shrugged, "Do you know where Hali is right now?"

"Not this again, Ariel," whined the king, "she's in Atlantica. We both know that."

"Hmm," Ariel went on, "how about Xavier? Where did he run of to?"

"I don't know," Snorted Eric, "and I don't care either. Not after, her broke poor Hali's heart, causing her to take off, get nearly killed by a pirate, and speed off to Atlantica with only a note. He can stay wherever he is, for all I care."

By this time, Eric had risen from bed, and began washing from a nearby water basin, in their chambers.

"Yes," Ariel pressed him, "but where would he most likely have gone? That's the question."

"I don't know," Eric shrugged, as he dried himself off as he spoke, "Xavier didn't even tell his own father he was leaving. I had to hire a temporary stable hand to help Marshall. Let me tell you that Marshall is none to happy with his son. If Xavier ever comes back, he is in for a world of trouble, that's for sure."

"He went after her, Eric!" Ariel finally blurted out.

Eric frowned, "after who?"

"Hali, Eric," she threw her arms up in the air, "he went after Hali."

"But how?" Eric was grasping his clean shirt by the sleeve, apparently forgetting he even held it."

"That's the part I don't understand," Ariel admitted, "But if he went to the wrong people, then that could mean trouble."

Eric shook his head, and finally threw his shirt over his back, and began buttoning it up, "How can you possibly know we went after her, Ariel? He probably just went back to France."

"Attina told me," Ariel declared in triumph.

"Attina told you that Xavier went down to Atlantica?" he clarified.

"Yes," Ariel smirked, for the good part was coming up next, "and that's not all she said, either."

"Okay, I'll bite," grinned Eric, "what else did Attina say?"

"Well..." Ariel gave an exaggerated sigh.

"Well, what?" asked the king, "we haven't got all day. I need to get to the study and look over some last minute paperwork that has to be sent out today."

"Attina said that Hali snuck out of the castle a few nights ago, and spent the night with Xavier."

Eric suddenly found himself from starting in a standing position, to ending seated on the edge of the bed. The king had no clue as to how this happened, but he suspected that his knees must have given out.

"What?" he whispered.

"Oh come on Eric, it isn't that serious, is it?"

"How can you say that?" Eric protested, "she's our baby. We can't allow her to behave so... unladylike."

"Really, Eric," Ariel was having a little too much fun, "they're going to get married anyway..."

Eric stood up forcefully, and Ariel noted that his face was looking slightly green.

"Are you suggesting that something," Eric paused as if the next few words, actually caused him physical pain, "that something inappropriate happened between them?"

"Oh no, Eric," Ariel comforted, "I don't think so, mainly because I don't think Xavier would even know how to use his new merman anatomy. I'm only saying, that if, on the off chance, something _did_ happen, it wouldn't really matter, because they _are_ going to get married eventually. And..."

"And what?" demanded her husband.

"And if Hali were to get pregnant, then they could always speed up the wedding."

At this last remark, Eric flopped backwards onto his bed, as if lying in his grave. Ariel forced herself to suppress a giggle.

"I'm going to kill him," Eric said in a dead calm, "really, I'm going to kill him. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

"You can't kill our daughter's fiancee, Eric," Ariel chided, "it isn't justified."

"Not justified!" Eric shrieked, "Ariel, I want to to go down to Atlantic immediately, and retrieve Hali this instant."

That's when Ariel's smile faded. She had been using Eric for her own sadistic games, only waiting for him to reveal some sort of reaction to the news of his youngest daughter's activities. What Ariel should have done, was skip that part of the story, as it wasn't important at all. Hali was once again, looking danger in its face, and ere she was playing senseless games. Ariel felt guilty. As guilty as a horrible mother and wife could feel. Suddenly, Ariel burst into unbridled tears, and Eric was left completely baffled.

"Ariel?" Eric asked concerned, "what's wrong. I'm sorry. Just please stop crying. You know, that I can't stand to see you cry."

Eric stopped to wipe a tear from his wife's cheek, "What's wrong, love? You can tell me."

"Eric, I'm s-sorry," sobbed Ariel, "I have to t-tell you something."

"Tell me what, love?"

"H-Hali i-is..."

"Hali is what?" Eric questioned, putting a protective arm around his wife.

"Adelaide was k-kidnapped, and..."

"Ariel?" Eric said sternly, "what are you talking about?"

"Adelaide was kidnapped by, M-Murkens, and Hali left to go rescue her. She could be in d-danger, and Attina says daddy isn't f-feeling well again. And there's nothing I can do."

Just then, there was a loud knock on the door, which infuriated Eric.

"Your majesties," a male servant asked, "have you risen yet?"

"Go away!" Eric bellowed towards the doors.

"But," the servant hesitantly began, "the postmaster general is waiting for the paper work, you still have yet ot overlook."

"Well," snapped, Eric, "the paper work is going to have to wait. Now, go away!"

Eric heard the servant's footsteps retreat, and he returned his attention to his wife, who was still crying freely.

"Ariel," his voice was gentle, as he brushed Ariel's thick red hair aside, "maybe you _should_ go down to Atlantic, and see your family."

"I can't leave, M-Melody and..."

Eric grabbed the face of his wife, and kissed her softly, "You're right, Ariel. Stay here, and help look after Melody. I'm going to attend to that paperwork quickly, and then see about sending a message to Atlantica."

Ariel nodded, and sniffled, but she didn't say a word. Eric offered her his pocket handkerchief.

"In the mean time, why don't you get some rest," began the king, "I'll send Nina to look after Melody and..."

"Okay, Eric," sniffed Ariel, as she climbed back into bed, still fully dressed.

Eric left the room, and gently closed the door behind him. Once outside the bedchambers, the kind shook his head, in dismay. This was going to be a miserable couple of days, for everyone.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I was going to continue this chapter, switching to a scene with Hali and the others, but who knows how long the chapter would have ended up being? So, I suppose it is going to have to wait until next time.

Oh, what Ariel did to Eric about Hali and Xavier really was sadistic, wasn't it? But it was still funny! No wonder Eric wanted to kill Xavier? Any father would, right?

Hmm... twice in this chapter, the sentence, "Melody and...", was cut off. Once by Ariel, the other time, by Eric. Why is that, do you think? Huh, it's a mystery to me!

Have a happy thanksgiving!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me,

xJadeRainx


	39. Chapter 39: Mistaken

Hali woke up with Serene's tiny hand draped over her face. Odysseus, the cranky innkeeper, maintained that he only had two spare rooms open, each with two beds in them. That was all they really needed. They split the group down the middle, the boys, plus Sebastian in one room, while Hali, Cricket and Serene spent the night in the other. Having only too beds, not nearly as comfortable as the giant clam shell beds in her grandfather's castle, Serene and Hali paired up together, and Cricket slept all by her lonesome. It was still very early, so they needn't get up and leave just yet, but Hali was awake now, and she couldn't get back to sleep.

Hali gingerly lifted Serene's hand off her face, and let in fall gently to the bed. Then, ever so quietly, Hali left the room. They hadn't very much money to offer the innkeeper. Between Hali and Merrick, they had about thirty clams left. And to think the greedy innkeeper has asked for then clams a piece! That was sixty clams, including Sebastian! The most they could afford to part with was ten clams, for they still had a long journey ahead of them. Still, maybe, there was something that Hali could do, to soften the blow.

The Guardian swam downstairs, to the main area of the inn. Everyone was still sleeping, including the shop keeper and his young daughter. Hali explored several different rooms about the inn. It was obvious that the old innkeeper was too heap to hire any extra help, because then he'd have to pay him. Judging by the mess the dining hall was in, it was clear that his kindhearted daughter, didn't have enough time to finish all the cleaning, before she headed off to bed form exhaustion, the night before. Used and dirty dishes lay everywhere, scattered about the table and across counter tops. Clearly, the patrons of the _Ocean Grove_, weren't the cleanliest individuals, leaving such a mess behind. Hali straightened with determination. Surely, she could help with the dishes! As a princess, of course, she had never had to worry herself with such details, but come now, it couldn't be that difficult. Xavier did chores all the time, including washing dishes after he and his father had eaten, back at home. Why couldn't she? Then Hali remembered the fateful time last year, when Hali had tried her hand at cooking, and nearly burned down the whole palace. She shook her head, driving the awful memory from her mind. It wasn't like she was going to burn the inn down, that much was certain.

"Okay," Hali whispered to herself, "where do I begin?"

Hali decided that she would tackle the dining table, since it was the messiest part of the kitchen at the moment. She scooped up a handful of dishes and placed them in the sink.

"So far so good, Hali!" she congratulated herself, "you'd make a swell housewife, see."

Hali moved around the kitchen singing to herself, quite happy with the fact that she was doing chores so well. Chores, of all things! That's when Hali reached up, and opened a high cabinet that was already slightly ajar. An avalanche of dishes came crashing down, before her, smashing into little pieces as the hit the counter top. The entire scene reminded Hali of her mother's favorite teapot. Apparently, she and china didn't get along very well. Hali buried her face in her hands. She had no clue what to do anymore. Hali was only trying to help, and make things a little bit easier on the innkeepers daughter, who she had taken a liking to, and needed up making thins worse. Her father, Odysseus, was going to be furious with the girl, and it was all Hali's fault!

* * *

The innkeeper's daughter, woke up with a start. She had heard the distinctive sounds of china breaking in the kitchen. Robbers! Ha! She wasn't about to let those rotten scoundrels gt away with their crimes, oh no. The last time anyone tired to rob the Ocean Grove, she had given the creeps a run for their money. The girl had made her father proud that day. In fact, he had given all his guests a free night at the inn, because he was put in such a good mood. She immediately thought of the poor travelers that had come to her father's inn the night before. The girl, Hali seemed so nice, and Cricket was becoming a dear friend. Maybe if she scared of these robbers, her father would give them a free night's stay also, it was clear that they didn't have very much money. Yes, the innkeeper's daughter resolved to be their unsung hero.

She quietly swam downstairs, not wanting to alert the robbers of her presence. No, she needed to take them by surprise. She stooped short. just outside the kitchen door, and listened. If was clear that there was only one robber working alone. But why in the kitchen? No innkeeper in his right mind would ever keep his clams in the kitchen. People might accidentally eat them!

The girl silently grabbed a broom, made from a blue whale's bristles, and entered the kitchen, swinging her weapon violently. Thieves never learn.

"Take that, you hooligan!" the mermaid cried, as she continued to swing her broom around with force.

It wasn't until Hali gave a squeal of fright, that the girl realized that she wasn't attacking a robber, but one of her father's guests. She dropped the broom immediately and rushed to Hali's side.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped, "I thought you were a robber. Please, please don't hate me!"

"It's okay, Charisse," Hali breathed, as her heart rated slowly returned to normal, "It is I who should be apologizing."

"Why?" Charisse questioned, with a wrinkled nose, "I nearly killed you with my broom. I guess I should think before I act, huh?"

"No worries, really," Hali assured her, "besides, I just destroyed more than half of your father's china. There goes the rest of our money, I suppose."

For the first time, Charisse took a survey of the kitchen. Broken dishes lay everywhere.

"Um, Hali, what happened, here?"

"I wanted to help out with some of the chores, thinking it might knock off some of the price on our bill. Instead," sighed Hali, "now I owe your father even more money."

"Hmm," Charisse said thoughtfully, "I'll thin of something, don 't worry. Just help me clean this place up."

Charisse handed Hali the broom, and the Guardian took up the thing, awkwardly in her hands, and began to sweep up the broken pieces of china. Meanwhile, Charisse was watching her with great interest.

"Is that how your mother taught you how to handle a broom?" she asked.

"Um, well, no," admitted Hali, "in fact I've never used a broom before, and neither has my mother."

"So, you've never had to do any chores before?"

"No, not really," Hali answered, feeling stupid.

Charisse stared at Hali if bewilderment, then burst out laughing.

"Oh, that's a funny joke, Hali," the mermaid sighed, "come on, let's get to work!"

So, the two girls sent to work cleaning up the kitchen, and as the tidied up, they engaged in some casual conversation.

"So, how old are you, Charisse?" Hali inquired.

"Eighteen, and you?"

"Nineteen."

"Tell me more about your traveling companions, Hali?" questioned Charisse.

"Well, what do you want to know, exactly?"

Charisse scrunched up her face in thought, "where are you all headed?"

"Murk," Hali answered quickly.

"Murk? Really, that is interesting."

"Why is that?" wondered Hali.

"Oh, only about two days ago, a few Murkens stayed the night in our inn. A group of three merman. The youngest was traveling with his baby girl. Jira, I think he said her name was. Anyway, they were heading back home to murk. His wife had died in childbirth, and he was bringing his little girl back to his native homewaters. Shame, tough. I'd hate to grow up in a place, as cold as Murk. And such a long journey for a little baby to make, too!"

Somewhere in the middle of Charisse's anecdote, Hali's mouth dropped open, and remained that way, until the girl pointed it out to her.

"Hali's what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, go on, what did the merbaby look like?"

"Why do you ask?" Charisse cocked her head in curiosity.

"Oh, I'm just interested in babies. They're so cute, aren't they? My sister's having a baby, you know? I wonder is she gave birth yet?" Hali, was surprised at how smoothly she handled that, although, she said that last part, mainly to herself.

"You haven't seen your sister in a while?"

"No, I was called away before she gave birth, and she was due any day."

"Oh, that's too bad," Charisse commented, "but anyway, little Jira was so adorable, with dark brown hair, deep violet eyes, and a salmon colored tail."

'Adelaide!' Hali thought to herself, 'it _was_ Adelaide. They were here, only two days ago! At least she appeared to be in good health.'

The Guardian's head was spinning, and she became a little dizzy.

"Hali, please, sit down," ordered Charisse, "you look unwell."

"No I'm fine, really," Hali began, "Thank you Charisse, you are very kind. Let's finish up here. My friends and I need to leave soon."

"Oh," Charisse seemed a bit disappointed, "tell me about your friends, while we clean, Hali."

"Well, Cricket is a bit of a chatterbox, but she has a good heart," explained Hali, "she reminds me a lot of you, actually."

"I do like Cricket," the girl conceded.

"And then, there's our little Serene," Hali replied, "she's cute isn't she, and she has a crush on my fiancee."

"Fiancee!" exclaimed Charisse, "That's wonderful. Congratulations, Hali."

"Thank you," Hali grinned.

"So," Charisse coyly began, "are you betrothed to Merrick?"

Hali was thrown into a fit of laughter, and shrieked "Merrick! Oh, no. Merrick is my cousin. I love Xavier."

The guardian noticed how, Charisse appeared to be relieved with the answer her question received. Hali couldn't resist playing match maker. Charisse was exactly the kind of girl Merrick needed, to let him loosen up a little.

"You know," Hali said nonchalantly, "Merrick isn't seeing anyone..."

"Well," Charisse blushed pink, "I'm sure he'll find someone."

Hali decided to leave it at that.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

OMG! The Murkens where at the very same inn with Baby Adelaide in toe! What are the chances of that?

And someone actually has a crush om Merrick, of all people, Merrick!

I wonder how the boys are getting along, and how angry will Odysseus be when he sees that half his china is destroyed?

I haven't got the slightest idea, about the physics one might encounter, living under water, so I write as if the physics are very similar, if not identical to the physics on land. And that's the best you can expect from me, okay?

Santa Clause is coming to town,

xJadeRainx


	40. Chapter 40: Breakfast at the Ocean Grove

_Xavier?_

"Lilith?"

_Xavier, why are you so mean to me?_

"What are you talking about, Lilith?"

_You haven't even tried to contact me. And after everything I've done for you! That makes me unhappy. Maybe I should just take that tail back, right now._

Xavier woke up with a start. For a split second, he felt as if he were drowning. Never, since he had first been granted his fins, had he experienced that sensation. What kind of games was Lilith playing with him? Having now, gotten his bearings, Xavier noticed that both Merrick and Sebastian were staring at him with murderous looks, and that startled him.

"What?" Xavier asked unsure what was going on.

"Sleep well, Xavier?" glared Merrick.

"Huh?" Xavier was as confused as he ever was.

"Ya talk in yer sleep, boy," Sebastian added, equally as angry as Merrick seemed to be.

"I do?"

Merrick seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, because he swam angrily up to Xavier, and tackled the baffled fool, knocking him out of bed.

"Hey, get off me!" Xavier yelled, as he pushed Merrick off his chest, "what the hell is going on, here?"

"Why don't you tell me, _Xavier_." Merrick sneered.

"And _why_ don't you tell _me_, what you're talking about," Xavier puffed out his chest.

"Quite a few interesting words slipped from your lips, Xavier," Merrick was only becoming more irritated by the moment.

Xavier had absolutely no idea what was going on.

"Why don't you just go ahead and tell me what I said, Merrick," growled Xavier, tired of this little game.

"Does the name Lilith mean anything to you?"

"What?" Xavier nearly jumped out of his skin, at the mention of her name.

"Look, all I know," Merrick began with a snarl, "is that you called out the name Lilith more than once, last night. Why is that?"

"I-I don't know," stuttered Xavier.

"Oh, really?"

That's when Sebastian cantankerously swam up to Xavier's face, and hissed, "Ya cheatin' on Hali, mon?"

Merrick quickly grabbed Sebastian by the throat and threw him against the door of the room, "I'll handle this, Sebastian."

All that was heard form Sebastian in reply, was a few broken squeals of pain.

"Well, are you?' Merrick asked with hostility, "cheating on Hali?"

"What! No!" shrieked Xavier, "Never!"

Merrick frowned at Xavier in disbelief. If that were true, then who was Lilith, and how did Xavier know her. Merrick was skeptical to say the least.

"So if I were to mention the name Lilith to Hali, it wouldn't ring any bells for her?"

"Don't," Xavier warned.

Merrick raised a dark brown eyebrow, "You expect me to lie to my cousin, for _you_?

"I would never do anything to hurt, Hali, never. Trust me."

"Never? Like breaking off your engagement?" Merrick laughed incredulously.

"You don't know the circumstances surrounding that story," Xavier said angrily.

"Do I need to?" challenged Merrick.

"Quite frankly, yes."

"Who is Lilith, Xavier?"

"No one," Xavier answered with clenched jaws.

"That the worst lie, I've ever heard."

This time it was Xavier who swam threateningly up to Merrick, "Don't go filling Hali's head with things you have no understanding of."

Merrick hadn't liked Xavier from the moment he had heard the idiot broke Hali's heart, and he still didn't like him, now. However, for one reason or another, Hali had taken him back. No, Merrick wasn't going to tell Hali what he had overheard last night, but only because he didn't want to distract her from their task. Once Adelaide was safe, well that was a completely different story.

"Don't worry," glared Merrick, "I won't tell Hali... yet."

Swimming towards the door, Merrick grabbed the dazed crab by a knobby leg, "Come on, Sebastian."

With that, he exited the room, leaving Xavier to himself.

* * *

Breakfast at the inn, was one awkward event, and Charisse was observing the with great interest. These were the most interest guests she had ever tended to at the _Ocean Grove_. Cricket was chatting away as usual, to the annoyance of her brother Merrick, who appeared to be in a dreadful mood this morning. That was unfortunate, for the angry lines on his face, marred his handsome features. The crab, Sebastian had a large bump on his head, for some unexplained reason, and was swimming around the inn dizzily. The merman called Xavier seemed unwilling to eat anything, claiming it was because he came from far away, and was not accustomed to such foods. Only, Charisse knew that merfolk everywhere generally enjoyed the same dishes, with a few slight variations here and there, and Charisse hadn't prepared anything out of the ordinary. Meanwhile, little Serene had attached herself to Xavier's dominate arm, so he couldn't have eaten anything if he wanted to. Topping things off, Merrick and Xavier were in a continuous stare down, regarding each other with cold, hard eyes. Finally, Charisse could no longer contain her curiosity, and leaned forward, to whisper something into Hali's ear.

"Why won't your fiancee, eat anything? Am I a bad cook?"

"Oh, no Charisse," Hali assured the girl, "it's just that he isn't used to eating merfood."

Poor Charisse was confused, "Then, what does he eat?"

"It's a long story," Hali answered with a shrug.

"Why is Merrick so unhappy this morning, do you think?"

"I don't know," admitted Hali, "I mean, he is usually a little cranky in the mornings, but today he seems..."

Hali's thoughts trailed off there, she too had noticed that both Xavier and Merrick were not in their usual spirits. She wondered if they had had words earlier. Only before Hali could give it any further deliberation, a very angry Odysseus had swam into the kitchen.

"What happened to my dishes?" he roared.

"I broke them, this morning, father. I'm sorry," Charisse answered, "I was carrying too many at a time, and well, you can see what happened."

The innkeeper softened at this, "Well, try not to do it again, Charisse," Odysseus said in a much gentler tone.

"Yes, father."

"Now how about their tab," he referred to the group crowded around his table.

"I think that ten clams collectively, should suffice, don't you, father?" Charisse used a sweet, singsong voice.

The innkeeper only swam away in a gloomy mood, mumbling to himself as he left. The sooner these lecherous travelers left his inn, the better. At least the Murkens had paid well for their stay.

"Gee," remarked Cricket, "I don't mean any offense, but your father sure is grumpy!"

This caused Merrick to release an infuriated battle cry, as he charged after Cricket. The young mermaid was forced to quickly swim around the table in circles, hoping to out swim her brother who had succumbed to madness.

"Cricket!" Merrick roared, "get back here, now! Mom and Dad taught you better than that, you ruse, rotten, little girl!"

The chase continue for about another nanosecond, before dear, kind Charisse simply had to interrupt the terrible scene.

"Please, Merrick, stop," she pleaded.

At this point, Merrick had captured his sister, and had the poor girl in a sort of headlock. His arms slackened at the sound of Charisse's voice.

"I was only trying to teach her a lesson," he explained sheepishly.

"No, it's fine, really," Charisse reassured.

With that, Merrick released the girl, and Cricket swam back to her seat, but not before she stuck her little pink tongue at her brother. Merrick simply glared at his baby sister, and soon the table had gone back to its previous state.

"So," Cricket began, facing Charisse, "are you going to answer my question about your dad being so grumpy?"

Merrick rose forcefully, shooting his sister a reproachful look, but sat down submissively, when Charisse touched him lightly on the arm.

"It's okay," Charisse stated, "father isn't all that bad of a merman. He just hasn't been the same since my mother dies, that's all."

Merrick shot cricket another look, that could potentially kill. The thoughtless girl had gone and made poor Charisse, reveal something personal about herself, she might not have been comfortable sharing with a bunch of strangers. He could have killed her.

* * *

Hali was glad when breakfast was over. They desperately needed to leave the inn, and get to the market. Any spare clams they had left over, they were going to need to spend on supplies. Her makeshift rescue crew wasn't even halfway to Murk yet. Finally, everyone was all packed up and ready to leave.

"Thank you for all your kindness, Charisse," Hali genuinely thanked the girl.

"Oh, it was nothing. Right, father?"

Odysseus mumbled something indistinguishable under his breath.

"Thank _you _for the most fun, I've seen in a while," added Charisse."

Hali only smiled and shook her head. It seemed that adventure got a kick out of following her around, everywhere she went.

Turning to Merrick, Hali said, "Do you have the map to Murk, Merrick?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Good," Hali sighed in relief, "let's go, then."

Everyone said their quick goodbyes to Charisse, before the began filing out the door to the inn. Just as Merrick was about to make his departure, Charisse called out to him.

"Merrick, wait!"

"What is it, Charisse," the merman asked concerned.

"I just wanted to give you something," she answered.

With that, Charisse pulled her own shell necklace from around her pretty neck, and placed it over Merrick's head. Merrick placed the map down upon the table for a moment, in order to inspect the shell.

"It's a miniature conch shell," explained Charisse, "legend said, it protects it's wearer from harm, and provides good luck for his journey."

"Thank you," Merrick smiled at her.

Just then, Hali came swimming back into the room.

"What's taking so long?" demanded the Guardian.

"We were just saying goodbye," replied Merrick.

Hali rolled her yes, at her cousin, "Come on, Romeo, we've got to go!"

"who's Romeo?" Merrick's voice trailed off, as Hali tugged him along by the arm.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

What! Lilith isn't done with Xavier yet? Is it possible that she wants something more than friendship from Xavier? What is she up to?

So, do you think that Merrick likes Charisse too? Hmm...

Well, their off on the rescue mission now. Will they make it in time?

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to,

xJadeRainx


	41. Chapter 41: A Cold Stone Heart

Lysander was carrying the little tadpole in a makeshift sling, he had fashioned from seaweed, that hung across one shoulder, and draped down in front of his chest. He looked down and studied the face of the sleeping child, and for a moment, a queer tingling sensation ripped through his cold, stone heart. Was there ever a time, when he himself was that innocent? Little Jira was beginning to stir, now. Being related to the child through blood, Lysander had given the girl a proper Murken name. It suited her well, but still, Jira was bound to be hungry upon awakening.

"Mar, Vex," Lysander's voice was a clear order, "we must stop, and procure food for the child."

The two merman only sneered at him.

"The little fin biter fancies himself in charge here, Vex," Mar snickered, as he traced the outline of a deep scar beneath his left eye, with a large finger.

"You'd do better not to address your emperor in such a tone," Lysander growled.

The accompanying merman then burst out in maniacal laughter,

"Emperor!" snorted Mar.

"Not for long," Vex added, as he wiped a tear away from his eye.

"Silence!" Lysander roared, which caused Jira to stir even more, "we stop for her sustenance, now. She will be hungry soon."

Mar only crossed his arms, frowning, and Vex delivered a murderous glare. Neither of the hardened warriors were too keen on being ordered about by a mere boy.

"It won't matter how hungry she is," Vex replied viciously, "when we slit her pretty little throat upon our return to glorious Murk."

That was right. Somehow, Lysander had forgotten why they even needed to bring Jira back to Murk, in the first place, if even only for a second. Perhaps, he shouldn't have named her, after all. The wretched little thing, wouldn't even live long enough to enjoy it. Suddenly, the tingling sensation that had been spreading throughout his heart, vanished, as quickly as it had appeared.

"The child must be in the best of health, if the ritual has any hope working correctly," announced Lysander, "we stop, now."

"We move on," Vex challenged threateningly.

Lysander only stared at the two merwarriors before him with his cool amber eyes. True, he was not destined to be emperor of Murk for much longer, but still, he was emperor now. These infidels, must learn their place.

"Sajust sāpes manas dusmas," Lysander chanted in a fierce voice.

Immediately, Mar and Vex, were both seized by a fit of pain. They cried out in agony, as they felt as if they were being torn apart from the inside out. Lysander said nothing, but watched with an impassive face.

"Stop this, boy," Vex braved the pain for a minute.

"I _am_ the emperor," Lysander began calmly, regarding his fingernails, "are the two of you done questioning my authority?"

"Yes," added Mar.

"Very well," sighed Lysander, "maijs sāpes atkāpties."

The two merman were abruptly released from their torture.

Oh, young Lysander knew both men were lying, but they couldn't afford to squander any more of their time. Surely, the Atlanticans, limited as they were, would have come after Jira. There was simply no telling how close behind they actually were. In any case, they had a good lead on the Atlanticans. With any luck, their enemies hadn't yet reached Mediterrania.

"Come," Lysander ordered, "we stop at the next mervillage for supplies."

* * *

The Market was only a quick five minute swim from the _Ocean Grove_, but it was one of the most awkward swims Hali had ever had in her life. Merrick and Xavier hadn't said a word to each other all morning, and Sebastian was treating Xavier just as unkindly. Serene wouldn't give Hali and her fiancee the pleasure of a moment alone together, and Cricket again managed to annoy her brother to the point of an angry explosion.

"Hey, is that a miniature conch shell?" Cricket asked, bouncing up and down.

"Yes," Merrick answered swatting her away gently.

"That is_ so_ cool," chirped Cricket, "do you know it can keep its wearer from harm?"

"Yes," her brother answered again, "or so the legend goes."

"Oooh," awed Cricket as she inspected the pretty shell, "where did you get it?"

"From Charisse, back at the inn."

Cricket immediately issued a squeal of delight, "Really?"

"Must you be so loud?" growled Merrick.

"Can I wear it, Merrick, please? Can I wear it?" she pleaded.

"Fine," her older brother huffed, as he removed the necklace, and shoved it into Cricket's hands, "if it will get you to leave me alone."

Cricket wasted no time, placing the necklace around her own throat, "Oh, it looks so much better on _me_!"

Finally, after what seemed like ages, but honestly couldn't have been, Hali caught sight of the market. They didn't have any longer than fifteen minutes to spend shopping around. The Guardian and her group, needed to collect their supplies swiftly, and efficiently. Hali wagered that their best bet was to split up, and look for different items.

"We're going to have to split up, Merrick," Hali announced, "Xavier and I will look for medical supplies, and the rest of you can search for food, okay?"

"All right fine," Merrick answered, "Cricket, Sebastian, Serene, come with me."

However Serene stayed suspended in the water, exactly where she was.

"Serene!" Merrick said a little more sternly, "come here, now."

"No!" cried the tiny deviant. "I'm going with Xavier."

"No, you're coming with me," challenged Merrick.

"No, I'm not!"

Xavier knew the look on Hali's face. The group was pressed for time already, and Hali was clearly worried and frustrated. He did his best to help smooth over the situation. Xavier swam up to Serene, and took hold of the little mergirl's hands.

"Go with Merrick," he said gently.

"But why?" Serene sniffed.

"Do you want Hali to get jealous?" Xavier whispered in her ear.

"Jealous?" repeated Serene.

"Yes," maintained Xavier, "Serene, ma chérie, if Hali catches on to us, then she won't allow us to be together, ever again."

"Never again?" the poor thing sounded simply horrified.

"That's right," nodded Xavier.

"Okay," Serene sighed defeated, "I'll go with Merrick."

"There's a good girl," Xavier touched the tip of Serene's nose, and the girl swooned, "now, go on."

With that, Serene swam over to Merrick, who grabbed her by the hand.

"Stay with me," ordered Merrick.

So, the two groups went to cover opposite sides of the market. and Serene blew a kiss in Xavier's direction as they departed.

* * *

The selection of medical supplies at the market was limited at best. Hali dismally swam along the stalls, inspecting what the vendors had to offer. She found some adhesive gauze developed from kelp properties, to bandage injuries, and a clear liquid contained in a glass vial, similar to what people use on land to clean out wounds. Of course, Hali also picked up a package of seaweed band aides with the cartoon sea creatures etched on them. She knew that Doctor Serene would expect no less.

Hali and Xavier had chatted about a few things here and there, as they searched, but still, she was itching to ask him a certain question that had been pestering her since breakfast.

"Xavier?" she asked quietly.

"Oui, ma chérie?" he smiled.

"Did something happen between you and Merrick?"

* * *

Merrick and his group were also scouring their side of the market for the food they needed for their journey. That wasn't an easy task, either. Most of the food sold at the market was intended to be eaten immediately, like seaweed dogs, for example. However, what they needed was non perishable and easy to eat foods, that they could store in their knapsacks for when they needed it. Basically, Merrick had stocked up on kelp jerky, and other similar food items. The merman smiled to himself as he realized, that most of this food would make Xavier cringe, at the mere sight and smell. Anything he could do, to make Xavier's life any more miserable, gave Merrick a great pleasure.

"What are you smiling about?" asked Cricket.

"None of your business."

Cricket jabbed her brother in his side with her slender pointer finger, "Charisse is pretty, isn't she."

"Yes, I suppose," Merrick replied.

"You suppose?" repeated Cricket in shock, "those rich brown eyes, with golden flecks in them, that platinum blond hair! She's beautiful, gorgeous!"

"Listen, Cricket," Merrick said, grabbing the mermaid by the arm, "I don't know what you're planning in that pretty little head of yours, but drop it now."

"But..."

"Now," he said with finality.

* * *

"We had an argument earlier, that's all," Xavier answered.

What? It wasn't a lie after all, not really.

"About what?" inquired Hali.

Xavier gently took his fiancee's hands in his, "Hali, you know, I would never hurt you."

"Well," she began, but Xavier cut her off.

"What happened that night on the beach, after the ball... I-I wasn't in my right mind."

"Okay," Hali said slowly.

"It's just that Adrian..." Xavier's voice trailed off, "did you ever really date him?"

Hali snorted in disbelief, "Is that what he told you? Xavier, I wouldn't be caught dead on that man's arm."

Xavier shook his had in dismay, "He said some terrible things about you, and then he insulted me for being a stable hand..."

"Xavier," Hali began, "you know, I don't care about..."

Xavier brushed the side of her cheek with a large, gentle hand, and sang to his love.

_I don't know how to make lots of money.  
I have debts that I'm trying to pay.  
I can't buy you nice things,  
Like big diamond rings,  
But that doesn't mean much anyway._

_I don't know that I'd make a good soldier  
I don't believe in being violent and cruel  
I don't know how to fight,  
But I'll draw blood tonight  
If somebody tries hurting you tonight_

_I will write you a song.  
That's how you'll know  
That my love is still strong.  
I will write you a song.  
And you'll know from this song,  
that I just can't go on without you._

"Oh, Xavier," Hali breathed when he had finished, "I..."

Xavier moved in to kiss her, but they were interrupted.

"Are the two of you finished, here?" Merrick asked in a grave voice.

Hali was disappointed. Of all the times, Merrick could have interrupted them! It was almost as if he had planed it.

"Yes, Merrick," Hali suppressed a snarl, "give me the map."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

And so readers, the Murken Kidnappers finally have names! How do you like Lysander and his warrior companions? They don't seem to like each other, though...

Merrick, referring to Charisse being pretty: "yes, I suppose."

He supposes? What's wrong with that boy? Is he daft, or just plain shy?

That Xavier is one smooth operator, huh? He knows exactly how to push Serene's buttons.

The song Xavier sings, is entitled I Will Write you a song, by The Plain White T's. I'm not a fan of the group, sorry to those who are, but Converse r life thought the song reminded her of Xavier and Hali, and she was right. Thanks for the submission!

Impossible for a plain country bumpkin, and a prince to join in marriage,

xJadeRainx


	42. Chapter 42 Tremendous Tilt, Dynamic Dart

"Right, the map," Merrick murmured as he rummaged through the pouch slung over his shoulder.

He couldn't find it simply by feeling around blindly, so he dumped the contents onto the sand. Nearly everything they needed for their trip, was strewn about the ocean floor, everything, except the map to Murk. Hali wasn't alarmed at first. The map was probably inside someone else's bag. As she reached into her own knapsack to check, Merrick cried out.

"The map!"

"What about the map," Hali asked with narrowing eyes.

"I left it at the inn," Merrick sighed in despair, as he ran his fingers through his brown hair, "we're going to have to go back for it."

"Go back!" Hali gave an incredulous gasp, "we don't have that kind of time! We're just going to have to keep on, without it."

"We'll waste more time, if we simply wander aimlessly through the ocean, with no idea where we're headed!" argued Merrick.

"How could you have forgotten the map, Merrick!" Hali shouted.

"I wouldn't have, if _you_ didn't drag me away by force!"

"Leave her alone," Xavier said in a grave voice, as he pulled Hali into his protective arms.

Hali had been angered to the point of tears. Never, in all the time Xavier had known her, had he ever seen Hali so distressed. Hali needed to be defended, of that much, he was certain.

"Stay out of this," warned Merrick.

"No," Xavier stood his ground.

By this point, Serene was bawling uncontrollably. Perhaps she was upset by the amount of hostility in the watery atmosphere, or maybe she was more distressed by the fact that Merrick was threatening her darling Xavier. In any case, they were creating quite a commotion in the dead center of the market. Vendors began shouting at he hooligans, to stop at once. If their goods were damaged in any capacity, they would be held accountable. Still, the group continued with their argument growing in tension and volume, fueled mostly by their fears. The entire scene was becoming so heated, that mersecurity was eventually called. Even merman, specially trained in this type of situation, were unable to disband the group.

* * *

"Hey what's going on over there?" the larger of the creatures asked.

"I dunno, looks to me like a couple of ruffians are having an argument," answered the smaller.

"You mean their fighting?"

"That's what I said blubber brain!"

"There's no need to be insulting."

"Well, my friend, this looks like a job for a couple of adventurers slash explores, like ourselves. Shall we?"

"Let's."

Together, the two friends sang in harmony.

_Titanic Tip and Daring Dash,  
Adventurers slash explorers._

_Our gallant quest  
To do our best,  
And Smile  
For our adorers._

"Excuse me, excuse me, let us through," the penguin and the walrus pushed their way through the crowd, until they were smack dab in the middle of the arguing group.

Serene was the only one to notice the intruders.

"Oh, what a cute little penguin!" Serene squealed, pulling Tip into a great hug, "I'm going to call you Mister Fluffy Feathers!"

"I'm sorry little girl, but Titanic Tip, has serious issues with being called by the name, Mister Fluffy Feathers."

But Serene ignored him, and grabbed Dash by one of his large tusks, "Hello, your new name is Sir Sparkle Tusks!"

Dash blushed, "it does have a certain ring to it, Tip."

"Quite, blubber brain," ordered Tip, "we have a task at hand. Break it up, break it up!"

Th group was instantly plunged into silence, as they all stared and blinked, at the penguin and walrus who had appeared out of thin air. A walrus and a penguin? Why did that jog memories for Hali?

"And who might you be?" Merrick finally asked.

"I'm Titanic Tip," the penguin offered, "and this here is my sidekick..."

"Partner," corrected the walrus.

"Fine," whined Tip, "this here is my _partner_, Daring Dash."

"We're adventurers slash explores," added the walrus.

Hali's feeling of deja vous was growing stronger by the minute. But why?

"Wonderful," Merrick said sarcastically, "we don't have time for this. Let's go."

Hali and the others turned to swim in the direction they believed Murk was in, but the adventurers slash explorers followed suit.

"You kids are a long ways from Atlantica," Tip remarked, "Where are ya headed?"

"How do you know we come form Atlantica?" asked Hali.

"Well, an expert adventurer slash explorer like myself noticed that you all have the tell tale Atlantican accent," Tip announced proudly.

"Except for her," Dash gestured towards Hali, "she sounds a lot like Melody."

"Say your right, there, blubber brain," Tip acknowledged, "what's your name, fish girl?"

Suddenly, the light of recognition dawned on Hali. She remembered who these two clowns were now. Melody had met them years ago, when she had run away to the sea. As Hali recalled, they weren't the most useful of companions. They needed to get out of the presence of Tip and Dash, adventurers slash explorers immediately.

"Nice meeting you," Hali said politely, "but we really should be going now."

That's when Daring Dash cried, "Hey, I remember you now! You're Melody's little sister."

Tip whistled suggestively, "My, my, have you grown."

Should Xavier have been jealous of a penguin?

Hali winced, "Sorry, you've got the wrong girl. Come on everyone. No time to waste."

"Well, where are you headed?" Tip asked again, "a couple of adventures slash explorers, like us, have traveled the world ten times over. We can turn you in the right direction, lickity-split."

"We're going to Murk!" Serene piped up, grabbing Xavier by the hand, "aren't we mon chéri?"

Hali would have cringed at Serene's little slip up, but she was far to impressed that the girl had said something in French. Amazing.

"Murk!" exclaimed Tip, "those are rough waters, for a couple of kids like you. What business do you have there?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Hali laughed nervously, as she huddled everyone together, "when I say 'go,' we all swim away, quickly," she whispered.

"Folks don't go to Murk for nothing," Dash remarked.

"We're on a rescue mission!" informed Serene.

This time, Hali cringed.

"A rescue mission, huh?" began Tip, "then you'll surely need some fearless adventurers slash explorers at your disposal."

"That's right," agreed Dash.

"This is it," Tip whispered to his partner, "redemption!"

Meanwhile, Hali had made sure that her group was ready to flee. Good, everyone was accounted for, and the unreliable Serene, was safely tucked in the arms of her new French lover.

"Go!" Hali shouted and the group sped off.

"Hey, wait!" the adventurers slash explorers called out to them.

"Faster," Hali conveyed to the group.

They all sped up, until Tip shouted at the top of his penguin lungs, "You're going the wrong way."

Hali froze, and the others followed suit. Should she trust them? Were they going the wrong way? It was difficult to tell which way was south, without a map. If she were a sailor, like Sam, then Hali could have navigated by the stars, but she was no sailor. Still, if Melody had trusted them with her life years ago...

"Fine," Hali let out a deep breath, "which way are we supposed to go?"

"South is this way," Tip pointed with a black flipper.

Hali felt slightly relieved. At least the two clowns knew that Murk was situated in the south.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Another chapter, down! Did you enjoy it? Were you guys surprised by Tip and Dash.. or did you guess that by the Title? Tremendous and tilt, are synonyms for Titanic Tip, and dynamic and dart, are synonyms for Daring Dash! Genius! I promise you, that now Hali's group is finished growing. I wonder how out favorite adventurers slash explorers are going to work out for the _Ocean Star_ protagonists?

Okay, be honest, did any of you notice that Merrick had forgotten the map last chapter?

Oh my goodness, Serene learned a French phrase! How sophisticated! Only, maybe Xavier shouldn't encourage her the way he does? Unless he intends to make an honest woman out of Serene!

When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's amore,

xJadeRainx


	43. Chapter 43: Reaching Adriata

By the time the Murkens had reached Adriata, the next mervillage they came across, hungry little Jira was crying heavily, and with unfathomable volume. Lysander seemed to be coping with the noise, as best he could, but the merwarriors, Mar and Vex, were beyond the point of irritation. The two merman had crossed the threshold of homicidal tendencies, hours ago.

"If you don't shut that little brat up now, I'll do it myself!" Vex growled, attempting to snatch the monstrous little creature from Lysander's arms.

Lysander pulled Jira away from Vex so swiftly, and craftily, the warrior was grasping at nothing, but a few air bubbles.

"No one touches the child, but me," warned Lysander, "hand me the bottle, Mar."

Mar grumpily handed the brat's bottle to his young emperor. Lysander had discovered the hard way, that Jira had a slight allergy to a kelp and plankton blend. So, they needed to stick to a strict seaweed formula. Allowing Jira to get sick, was simply unacceptable. If the child wasn't in the best of health, the entire ritual would be compromised. What Lysander didn't need right now, was to bare the blame of botching the job.

"Tut-tut, Jira," Lysander soothed, "enjoy your meal while you can. I'm sorry to say, it will be one of your last."

Lysander placed the bottle to the child's lips, and she took it in her mouth greedily. To everyone's relief, Jira ceased her crying immediately.

Mar snorted, "He coddles that thing, like it's a pet sea spider."

"She's an ugly, little thing," Vex remarked looking over the boy's shoulder, "kind of like you, eh, Lysander?"

Lysander was beginning to get fed up, with the attitudes of the two warriors. He was never going to be good enough for anyone, but he _was_ the emperor until Tiamat returned. It was high time they learned that.

"Sajust sāpes manas dusmas," Lysander chanted the same terrifying spell from earlier.

Once again, Mar and Vex succumbed to the agonizing pain Lysaner had inflicted upon them. This was their second offense. If they chose to defy him just once more, he would strike them dead without another moment's hesitation.

Lysander addressed the merbaby, who was happily slurping away, at her bottle, "Little Jira, we are the same, you and I. Should I allow mere commoners to insult us, so?"

"We are warriors!" Vex roared, although the pain was enveloping his entire body.

"How quaint, Jira," Lysander spoke to the girl again, "all the power of the world at my fingertips, and the fools still speak. When will they ever learn?"

"You're going to pay, you little tad pole!" Mar cried, only he didn't bare the pain nearly as well as Vex.

Lysander ignored that last threat, and stared off into the distance, with his cold amber eyes. They weren't too far from Murk. Only a little over a day, and they would surely reach their destination. Finally, Lysander snapped himself out of his daze.

"I'll reverse the spell, only when they learn to be civil. Don't you think that's fair, Jira?"

The girl let out an epic burp in reply. Lysander was unaware of the faint smile that stretched across his face. It was so faint, in fact, that it was virtually undetectable, virtually.

"Lysander, stop this!" yelped Vex.

"No," the Murken said with no trace of emotion in his voice.

He was met with a chorus of screams from Mar and Vex, who were still writhing in pain.

"Now, boy," Vex did his best to sound threatening, however it resembled a whimper more than anything else.

If Lysander were to give it another minute, the two merman would black out from the pain. It didn't really matter to him, either way. Why had Lysander even brought them along in the first place? He could have managed the entire abduction on his own.

"I will release you, only when you promise to refrain from uttering another word against me for the rest of the journey. If you can do that, I will leave you to your own devices upon our arrival at Murk. It's simple, really. All you need to do, is agree."

"And if we do not?" Mar croaked.

"Then, I shall kill you, both," Lysander's voice was whisper soft, but the merman heard him perfectly clear, "have we got an understanding?"

"Yes," relented Mar.

"And you, Vex?" Lysander questioned.

"Never," the warrior whimpered.

"As you wish," shrugged Lysander, "they're loss, Jira. In about thirty seconds they will succumb to the pain. They'll most likely end up as shark bait. Then, it will just be you and I."

"Fine!" roared Ves, "anything, just stop this."

"Fine then," Lysander smirked, "I thought they might come around, Jira," Lysander waved his hand over the two merman and whispered, "maijs sāpes atkāpties."

The spell was broken immediately, but it had taken a toll on the warriors' bodies. They fell to the ocean floor, still writing in agony. Unfortunately for them, Lysander was in no mood to wait for them to recuperate, before they moved on.

"Get up," he ordered the two poor fools, "now, we continue to Murk nonstop."

* * *

_Braving the tides, swarming the sea  
Beware barracudas, drop to your knee  
Defending our friends and enemies  
As big as a whale but with a much smaller tail_

_Facing the foe with our fearless wit  
Daring the dastards to put up their dukes  
Great gobs of gore, we'll storm the shore  
And seek the unknown, then can we go home?_

_Titanic Tip and Daring Dash  
Adventurers slash explorers  
Titanic Tip and Daring Dash  
Adventurers slash explorers_

"Do dese two eva shut up, mon?" Sebastian groaned, "dey been singin' for hours, now!"

"Non stop," Merrick added with a scowl.

"It's annoying, I admit that much," Hali sighed, "but it's clear that they know the way. We'll get to Murk faster, now, and once we're their we can ditch them."

"Not likely," cricket chimed in, "just look at Serene."

Hali and all the others had found Tip and Dash to be far beyond annoying, everyone except Serene. She simply adored Mister Fluffy Feathers and Sir Sparkle Tusks. At the moment, Serene was riding on Dash's back, pretending that she was the leader of the expedition.

"Onward!" Hali heard Serene cheer, with her fist raised.

Hali grinned to herself. The only good thing that came out of Tip and Dash, so far, was that Serene was ignoring Xavier, at least temporarily.

Suddenly, the singing stopped. It was so foreign a concept, that it took the group a minute or so to realize that the mouths of _Titanic _Tip and _Daring_ Dash, weren't moving. Everyone stopped swimming.

"This is definitely not Murk," Merrick growled at the duo.

"Hold your seahorses, fish boy," Tip snapped back, "we've reached Adriata."

"It's the halfway mark," added Dash.

Hali realized that two days tops, and they'd be swimming the waters of Murk. Suddenly, Serene gave a gigantic yawn, and stretched out on Dash's blubbery back.

"Maybe, this is a good place to stop for the night?" Hali suggested to Merrick.

Normally, he would have pressed on, but Serene was quite small. She simply didn't have the energy for this kind of journey.

"That's a good idea," admitted Merrick.

"But we haven't got enough money for an inn," Xavier remarked.

Merrick would have ignored Xavier's voice, but the man was right. They didn't have a single clam left over. Where were they to spend the night safely?

"We know where there is an out of the way cave," Tip announced.

"A cave?" Serene lifted her sleepy head, startled, "but it's dark in caves!"

"We won't let anything happen to you, sweetheart," Dash assured, "besides, nothing lives their maybe just a giant squid or two..."

"Eek!" Serene squealed, and raced into Xavier's strong, protective arms, "I'll stay with you, Xavier."

"Okay, ma chérie," Xavier comforted.

Merrick wondered why his two cousins appeared to be so charmed by him, anyway.

"Take us to this cave," Hali ordered with a sigh, "we'll leave at daybreak."


	44. Chapter 44: The Magic of Lies

The nightmares hadn't taken a vacation ever since Xavier had first made the deal with Lilith. He wasn't exactly positive, but Xavier got the feeling, that he saw whatever Lilith saw, when she roamed the streets at night. Sometimes, Xavier even tasted what was unmistakeably blood, upon his lips. He had no idea, what Lilith was planning to do with him, but Xavier should have thought it out more clearly before agreeing to be her _friend_. However, it was much to late for that. Xavier again, woke up with a terrible start. He felt as if he were drowning. To put it plainly, Xavier was frightened.

Despite Merrick's protests, Xavier and Hali had settled down for sleep, side by side. Somehow, dear Serene had weaseled her way in between the two of them, and now her little arm was draped lightly across Xavier's chest. The girl was cute. There was no disputing that, but Xavier got an uneasy feeling that Serene was expecting a proposal any day now. Xavier knew that his father would gladly hit him over the head with a shovel, if Marshall ever discovered that his son currently had two fiancees.

Xavier carefully lifted the mergirl's hand off his chest, so he wouldn't wake her. Satisfied that Serene would remain asleep, Xavier silently exited the cave, and sat on a flat rock, just outside the mouth of the cave. He didn't want to take his chances shutting his eyes again, and drowning in his sleep. Outside the cave, Xavier simply sat and thought. There had to be some way, of outsmarting Lilith. The only problem was he didn't yet know enough about vampires.

Xavier didn't know how long he was sitting on the rock, before he heard a voice at his shoulder.

"Xavier, is something wrong?"

The merman turned to see Hali, worry lines stretched across her pretty face.

"No," he lied, "I just can't sleep. That's all."

"Oh," Hali stretched the sleepiness out of her body, and sat down next to Xavier, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You can go back to bed, if you want," Xavier assured her, "we still have a long journey ahead of us."

Hali contemplated for a moment, "No, we might as well take advantage of whatever alone time we can get, right now."

Xavier laughed, "Yeah, that Serene is a little clingy, isn't she?"

"Well," shrugged Hali, "she's a girl in love. Can you blame her?"

"Maybe someone should tell her that it isn't proper decorum to steal a cousin's fiancee..."

"And Maybe," Hali teased, "a certain cousin's fiancee shouldn't lead her on, the way he does."

Xavier bit his bottom lip, "Am I that bad?"

"Oh, she'll get over it," Hali replaced her head on Xavier's shoulders, "eventually."

"That's good to know," stated Xavier, "I guess."

"So really, Xavier," Hali began, "what are you doing out here?"

"I told told you," he frowned, "I can't sleep."

"Xavier," sighed Hali, "I know you better than that. You're worried over something."

"All right," admitted Xavier, "sometimes I feel like I'm drowning."

"You mean, you feel like your drowning from all the stress and pressure?"

"No," Xavier shook his head, "I literally feel like I'm drowning, in water."

"But," Hali protested, "right now, you're a..."

"A merman," Xavier interrupted, "I know. But for how much longer?"

Hali's face had concern written all over it, "Tell me how you got you're fins, Xavier."

Xavier ran his fingers through his sandy hair. It was a ruse for him to buy time. Xavier needed to think carefully before answering Hali.

He finally began, "Madam Amalthea..."

"Araida," corrected Hali.

"Excusez-moi?"

"Madam Araida," Hali repeated, " they gypsy with who sets up shop outside Darcie Street is names Madam Aradia, but you must know that considering you went to her for your fins."

"Yes, yes, I knew that," claimed Xavier, I misspoke."

That was when Hali realized he was lying to her. Only, she couldn't understand why Xavier would do something like that. Especially after they had just only gotten back together. Something serious was going on, and she was determined to find out.

"Xavier..."

"Why don't we talk about something else?" he changed the subject.

"Okay," Hali said slowly, "what then, do you want to talk about, Xavier?"

He may not want to talk now, but Hali would get it out of him, sometime.

Xavier thought for a minute, "tell me about magical creatures."

"Magical creatures? Why?"

Xavier shrugged, "I just have a casual interest."

Hali sighed, "Well, dragons..."

"No not dragons," he interrupted.

"Why not?' Hali questioned.

"I know all about dragons already," Xavier explained, "when I was ten, there was an infestation of dragons in France. Mass amounts of cattle were devoured that year."

"All right then," Hali thought of a new magical creature, "oh, okay! Unicorns..."

"Not unicorns either."

"What's wrong with unicorns?" Hali sounded exasperated.

"Too girly," complained Xavier.

Hali gasped, "Unicorns are cute, do you hear me? Cute!"

"But girly," Xavier reiterated with a smile.

"I give up," sighed, "what magical creature would you like to know about?"

"Vampires."

"Vampires? Why vampires?" Hali asked.

"Well," Xavier scratched his chin, "they definitely aren't girly."

Hali didn't answer his request immediately. Why was Xavier all of a sudden so curious about vampires? It was suspicious to say the least, and if Hali didn't know any better... No, it was too impossibly ridiculous.

"Okay," Hali humored him, "vampires have a very strong magic."

"They do?" Xavier questioned.

"Yes, it's almost impossible to reverse one of their spells."

"It is?' Xavier seemed almost worried.

"Yes," repeated Hali, "and they can entrance a person with their singing, well, humming actually."

"Go on," Xavier ordered.

He was desperate to know more, but Xavier tried his best to keep his voice sounding cool, calm.

"All vampire have the same features, silvery hair, large red eyes. They aren't normal looking eyes, though. They're more like two red orbs, than anything else."

"Interesting," Xavier mused.

Yes, that description certainly rang a few bells for him. Hali had just described Lilith.

"Vampires can't ever be trusted, ever," Hali explained, "they lie, and manipulate, and they drink blood. Really though, who would ever trust something that drinks blood?" Hali scoffed.

"Yes," agreed Xavier, "the man who would trust a vampire is an absolute fool, that's for sure."

"That's about all I know about vampires, I'm afraid," Hali shrugged, "there aren't any vampires in Shireland."

"There aren't?" Xavier seemed almost startled.

"Nope," Hali assured him, "my father's family drove them all out ages ago."

Xavier was sorry to say, that Hali was unfortunately mistaken. There was indeed, at least one vampire, Lilith still living in Shireland. And, where there was one, it was more than likely a whole host of vampires still remained.

Suddenly, Xavier pulled Hali into a deep kiss, and she returned his affections gladly.

"What was that for?" Hali asked breathlessly.

"Because I love you," Xavier smiled.

"Je t'taime aussi, Xavier," Hali cooed, before kissing him again.

The pair sat kissing for some time, quite obviously enjoying each other, before they were finally interrupted by a tiny voice.

"What are you doing?" I sleepy Serene asked as she rubbed her eyes.

Hali and Xavier pulled away from one another immediately.

"Nothing!" they cried in unison.

"It didn't look like nothing," Serene crossed her arms moodily.

"Yes, well, your eyes must have been playing trick on you," Hali said hurriedly, "Let's go back in the cave and rest some more, shall we? We have a long swim ahead of us in just a few short hours."

"That's a great idea," Xavier chimed in, as he and Hali ushered the mergirl back inside.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah**

A chapter just about Hali and Xavier. Oh, and vampires! Can't forget about the vampires! So, is Lilith evil, or simply misunderstood? You tell me.

It's okay guys. Xavier is only lying to Hali because he has to, not because he wants to. It's a life or death situation!

Wow, that Serene rally is smitten with Xavier. Poor girl is bound to get her heart broken.

So, today it started snowing at about 11:00 am, and it is still snowing now, at 6:46 pm. There is a ton of snow all over the trees, houses, parked cars, and streets. If it wasn't Saturday, schools would have been canceled for sure. I just thought some of you beach gals and guys would be interested in that!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,

xJadeRainx


	45. Chapter 45: Fever Till You Sizzle

Lysander breathed a sigh of relief when his large amber eyes could faintly trace the outlines of his home, the kingdom Murk. It was a long and arduous swim. The young emperor was beyond weary, and a couple of travel companions like Mar and Vex, did not make his journey any more pleasant. At least little Jira was sleeping peacefully in the makeshift seaweed sling he had crafted. The tyke had it easy, for now anyway. Jira's brow would remain untainted by problems until the night of the Blood Moon. After that, Lysander would never have to see the mergirl again. Within the hour, Lysander, Jira, the two cantankerous warriors would have reached murk. Then, all he needed to do was await the rising of the Blood Moon. Things had gone smoothly enough, and Lysander was sure that nothing was going to disturb the ritual, nothing at all.

Lysander had been in a sort of half daze, until Vex's harsh sounding voice, abruptly pulled Lysander out of his thoughts.

"Only Three more days before the Blood Moon," grunted Vex.

The emperor was caught off guard, and for some inexplicable reason, the hair at the back of his neck stood on end, at the sheer mention of the Blood Moon. Surely, it was the result of fatigue. No matter. He should soon be in his own palace, resting comfortably in his giant clam shell bed. Rest, was what his body needed.

"Indeed," Lysander breathed, unconsciously biting his lower lip, "Let us go, now. Murk is just within sight."

* * *

Serene was swimming in the middle of Hali and Xavier, hand in hand, the three of them forming a sort of chain. It had started off with only Hali and Xavier holding hands, but soon enough Serene spotted them, and imposed herself on the intimate contact. Hali was a reasonable girl, but enough was enough. Serene needed to be set straight immediately, before things got out of hand.

"Xavier," Hali whispered harshly, over Serene's head, "break things off with her, now."

The stable hand sunk his neck onto his shoulders, like a turtle. He was ashamed at being chastised so blatantly. Yet, Xavier knew that it had to be done, before Serene got the idea that she was invited along on the honeymoon. Xavier let out a heavy sigh, and braced himself for the inevitable waterworks, that was to follow.

"Um, Serene," Xavier began hesitantly.

"Oui, mon chéri?" The child answered sweetly.

Xavier took Serene by both hands, and looked directly into her eyes, "I think, maybe you have somehow gotten the wrong idea about us."

"I wonder how?" Hali snorted under her breath, but Xavier heard her anyway.

"I-I don't understand," stuttered Serene.

"_Hali_," Xavier emphasized her name, "is my fiancee, Serene. You _know_ that."

The mergirl stood with arms akimbo, and glared at the man in front of her, "What are you saying?"

Xavier was taken aback for a moment. The sweet little Serene he had come to be so acquainted with was behaving rather viciously. Still, she was so impossibly cute.

"It means that I'm going to marry Hali, and a man can't have two wives."

"You're leaving me for_ her_?" Serene whined with a quivering lip.

"Come now, it's not like that, Serene. It's just..."

"Ce me fait chier!" the girl spat.

Hali gasped, "Serene!" yet all the while, the Guardian was glaring at Xavier.

"She didn't learn that from me, I swear!" okay, that was a flat out lie, but what else could he do?

"Let me guess," Hali said sarcastically, "she picked it up from the penguin."

"Watch it, sister," Tip complained, "this penguin happens to have a name, and it's Titanic Tip!"

"And this mermaid, doesn't give a herring's tail if you call yourself Mister Fluffy Feathers, so long as you get us to Murk, and soon!"

Hali and Tip remained delivering to each other, murderous glares until Dash intervened.

"Now, now you guys," soothed the walrus, "we'll never get to Murk at this rate. So Let's get moving. Tip, stay with me and leave Hali alone."

"Alright, Blubber Brain,but it's not because you told me so."

"Humphf," Hali huffed at Tip's Tail feathers.

* * *

Finally back in his quarters, Lysander settled down for a much deserved sleep. No sooner had his head hit the pillow, than a knock came at his door. The young emperor groaned lightly to himself and rolled over. Who ever was disturbing him, had better have a good reason for doing so. The castle had better be collapsing at this very moment, or at least something equally as pressing. If not, the mystery knocker would pay dearly.

"What is it?" the Murken snapped.

"Lysander?"

Lysander sat up straight in his bed, almost immediately. He recognized that voice. Had she learned of his return so soon?

Lysander swam up to the door, and opened it willingly, revealing the form of a young Murken woman. Her head piece of black pearls, signified that the mermaid was a priestess.

"Ceto," he smiled, "what brings you here. I have only just returned, and..."

The emperor's words were cut short, for he was silenced when the priestess placed a finger to his lips."

"You're a talkative one, Lysander, but right now, you must be quiet and listen," Ceto warned, "The child has a fever."

Lysander's face fell, and he ran his hand roughly down the length of his face, "Come again?"

He simply couldn't believe it. After everything Lysander had done, after all the trouble he had gone through, after braving the company of Mar and Vex, Jira had come home with a fever. A fever! Lysander decided at that moment that the ancient Murken god's hated him, despised him even.

"The sacrifice has come down with a fever," Ceto repeated to the emperor.

"Please don't tell me that, Ceto," Lysander winced, "the Blood Moon is in less than three days. Three days!"

"I know all this, Lysander," the priestess hissed, "If her fever doesn't go down before the Blood Moon rises, all is lost."

"Couldn't we just continue on with the ritual, anyways?" he questioned.

"No," Ceto said plainly, "the child must be in perfect health, or the ceremony has no hope of working.

"But, Ceto..." Lysander began to protest.

"I _know_, Lysander," the mermaid growled, "the blood moon is to rise for the first time in over fifty years. If we don't act, we loose out window of opportunity."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hello there! It's been a while, but here is an update for all you readers. Introducing a brand new Murken character, Ceto! Do you like her. No? Come on!

Serene said a French swear, ce me fait chier. I won't say what it means, but you can look it up if it strikes your fancy. Hey, it was Anima's idea!

So, Converse r life, seriously, it's 11:46. The night has not ended yet! I rule!

Okay, so my father accused me of eating his flan than my Aunt made, but I didn't eat it honestly. I don't even like flan! The thing is, no one in the house besides mi padre eats flan, and he is still insisting that someone ate it without asking... He probably ate it himself, and just doesn't remember!

Ember, my pet dragon want's to say hello to all of you. The other day, we were playing in the snow, and I was trying to build a snowman. Might I emphasize the word TRYING! She kept melting the poor dear with her fire breath. Oh well, lucky she's so cute! Thanks Anima!

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

xJadeRainx


	46. Chapter 46: Hurt and Hurting

"But Ceto," Lysander sighed, "it's only a fever. Surely as a priestess, you should be able to heal her with ease. We have herbs from all seven seas at our disposal..."

"You insult me, Lysander," Ceto glared, which made the emperor's heart sink, "Do you think I have not tired? I've exhausted all my resources, trying everything I have ever learned, studied, and even developed on my own. Nothing thus far has had any effect on the child."

Lysander teared at his hair for a moment, "Ceto, have you attempted..."

"Beseeching the Ancients for help!" the priestess finished with an angry shriek, "of course, I have. You think me a fool, Lysander."

A fool? Lysander's head was spinning. Bringing the girl to Murk was supposed to solve all his problems, not create new ones, and now, of all people, Ceto believed he thought poorly of her. She couldn't be any more wrong.

"Ceto," Lysander began gently, as he gently reached his hand out, to rest on the priestess' shoulder.

The emperor's efforts went unrewarded, as Ceto shrunk away from him. Lysander's heart sank even further down into his chest. Ceto also? Must everyone treat him in this fashion?

"Ceto," Lysander repeated, clearly hurt by her actions.

"I should get back to the child, now," the priestess swiftly diverted his attention to other matters, "I have one last herb I can test. If it doesn't work, then I have no other ideas on how to proceed."

"You can't be serious," Lysander groaned.

Ceto only shook her head in dismay, "It's more than likely, that the child isn't accustomed to these icy waters. We'll have to wait until the fever runs its course. Hopefully, she'll be over it before the Blood Moon."

"Not accustomed to our waters," scoffed the emperor, "but Jira's Murken, for Ancient's cause!"

"She's _not_ Murken," Ceto argued, "She's.."

Lysander immediately crossed his arms over his chest, and narrowed his amber eyes, "She's what, Ceto?"

"You know what she is, Lysander," the priestess diverted her gaze, momentarily.

"But I want to hear you say it," the emperor said severely.

Only Ceto wouldn't comply, "Sleep, Lysander. You must be fatigued, after such a journey. In the meantime, I'll go an attend to the sacrifice."

"Ceto!"

"I'll be sure to send you a full update first thing in the morning."

The priestess offered her emperor a polite nod, and quickly turned to leave his room. Lysander slammed the door behind her, not at all caring if he disturbed the sleep of others in the palace. He moodily returned to his bed and attempted to sleep once again. Unfortunately, his mood had been spoiled. Lysander was destined for a restless night.

* * *

The royal Atlantican family sat silently at the breakfast table. Nearly every member of the family was present, except of course for Merrick, Hali, and Serene, who had gone off to rescue Adelaide from the clutches of evil, Cricket, who had mysteriously disappeared, and the king himself. Triton had been a whirlwind of emotions, as of late. It seemed if the King wasn't behaving melancholy and depressed, he was angry and aggressive, throwing himself into a terrible rage.

However, even in the face of adversity, the family still must eat. The breakfast table normally light hearted, and friendly, was thrust into an unnatural silence. It had been weeks since their kin had left on a dangerous quest to Murk, and no one had received word on their health or whereabouts.

Poor Andrina sat cradling a lonely Darwin in her arms, as she cut slices of sea cucumber for her young son, Kelvin to eat. The boy was far beyond worried for his little sister, and therefore wasn't hungry in the least, but he shoveled in some food, to please his mother, if nothing else.

Attina was sitting alone at the far end of the table. The family had learned, it was best to keep their distance for the time being. Attina had fallen into a horrible mood ever since Cricket's disappearance. On top of all that, Attina was also forced to again look after a kingdom and a family, struck by disaster. Going solely by the dark circles under the merwoman's eyes, one could tell, the situation was taking its toll, and a large one at that.

The table remained covered in a heavy pall of of gloomy silence, up until the moment, Ambrosia open her mouth to speak her mind.

"I don't see, why we all have to be so quiet all the time," Ambrosia's aquamarine eyes fell to her plate, as she pushed her breakfast around with Caspian's newest invention, the food spear, "we aren't corpses."

"Ambrosia," her mother Adella warned, "our family can be in grave danger..."

"No one is dead," the girl challenged, "well, maybe Adelaide, but would that be such a bad thing?"

"Ambrosia!" this time it was her father, Calder, who issued the warning, "shut your moth this instant, and apologize to your family."

Calder was a good merman, although he was a bit rough around the edges at times. There was absolutely no way, he was going to allow a daughter of his speak in such a manner.

"No!" the mergirl rose forcefully, "I want things to go back to the way they were before Tiamat came here. Before stupid Adelaide was born. Before Grandpa was always so mean. I just want things to be normal again!"

With that, the girl sped out of the dining hall, ignoring her parents' shouts to return and face punishment, and swiftly fled down one water filled corridor after another. Ambrosia wasn't sure where she was going, but all she knew was that she wanted to get away from the idiots who couldn't see that it was Adelaide that was tearing the family apart. Ambrosia forced herself to pick up speed, and her bright red hair trailed behind her. She was nearly at the castle's exit, when her body collided with something solid. The mermaid recoiled backwards, and crashed into a large potted seaweed plant, shattering the sea glass pot. When Ambrosia finally regained her bearings, she brushed some sediment off her turquoise fins, and looked up. She was gazing directly into the face of Triton, King of Atlantica, and even more intimidating, her grandfather.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hola, amigos!

Interesting stuff, with Lysander and Ceto, huh? I wonder what that's about.

Poor Ambrosia. She was always iffy, on the Adelaide subject, and it seems she's taking the situation rather badly. Too bad Cricket isn't there to smooth things over.

If you need a reminder on the cousins, refer back to chapter one: Cousins by the Dozen, and chapter 20: Banquet and Bedlam. There are more in depth descriptions of Hali's cousins there.

I wonder how King Triton is holding up?

No worries, Converse r life, I will answer the remainder of you question in due time.

Until then,

Bon jour. Good day. How is your family?

xJadeRainx

PS: So far the only husbands to have names are, Marin, (Attina's husband), Lamar, (Andrina's husband) and now, Calder, (Adella's husband).


	47. Chapter 47: Family Ties

As Ambrosia stared at the towering figure of her grandfather, she was swept by an overwhelming sense of guilt. Guilt, at the words she had spoken about Adelaide, and about a million other thoughts she hadn't been brave enough to voice. Ambrosia was, after all, just a girl of ten years. Which is practically still considered an infant, when measured against the lifespan of the merfolk. At the sight of her grandfather, every last muscle in Ambrosia's body tensed at once causing the girl to sink instead of swim.

"Where are you swimming off to so eagerly, Ambrosia?" The king inquired in as kind a voice he could manage.

"Tide School," the girl answered absent mindedly. It was the best she could come up with on the spot.

"But it's only Saturday," Triton puzzled with a raised eyebrow, white from age.

"Oh yeah," Ambrosia laughed nervously, "I forgot."

"You forgot it was Saturday?" her grandfather scratched his beard. Somehow, this conversation was growing more ridiculous by the moment.

Ambrosia only nodded.

"Ambrosia, dear," the king began, "what's really going on?"

The mergirl was hesitant to answer her grandfather. Sure, he was speaking nicely right now, but if there was one thing that Ambrosia had learned, was that King Triton was tightly wound, and could snap at any moment. When that happened, Neptune help the poor fool caught in the crossfire.

"I-I can't tell you," Ambrosia finally stuttered, unconsciously tugging at her red hair.

"Why ever not?" Triton asked, genuinely concerned for the girl. Certainly, Adelaide's kidnapping, and the abrupt leaving of her cousins, must be taking its toll on Ambrosia.

"I, uh, yelled at my parents," Ambrosia wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. It wasn't a complete lie, "yeah, that's it. I yelled at my parents."

"I see," King Triton began thoughtfully, "and you're afraid that I'm going to get you into further trouble with your mother and father?"

"Yeah... sure," the girl drawled out.

"Tell me, Ambrosia," Triton asked, "why would you yell at your parents in the first place?"

"Because they wouldn't listen to me," the girl answered angrily, "no one ever listens to me."

Triton could see where things were going with Ambrosia, and his heart broke for her. Could he possibly have been so blind? He had been a foolish father, grandfather, and king, behaving like the tragedy had affected only him. Only, the king was determined to leave all that in the past, and set things right, starting with Ambrosia.

"Come to my bed chambers, Ambrosia," her grandfather ordered, "and you can tell me everything that's on your mind, in private."

Ambrosia faltered for a moment, which did not go unnoticed by the king.

"Don't be afraid, dear," Triton assured the girl, "everything will be all right, soon enough."

Triton only prayed that his words would end up being true.

* * *

Lysander had experienced a rough night. He tossed and turned throughout his bed, horrible thoughts flooding every crevice of his mind. Was Ceto truly so disgusted by him? Would Jira's fever persist past the Blood Moon? If the sacrifice should prove unsuccessful, what would happen next? Would Lysander be forced to rule as emperor over a kingdom filled with subjects that didn't want or accept him on the throne? It seemed that at every turn, Lysander came face to face with disaster. Somehow, however, Lysander overcame all these plagued ideas, and his eyelids finally closed in merciful sleep, at the crack of dawn.

Only Lysander's sleep felt far too short, for a mere few hours later, he was again interrupted by a knock at his door. Must the really bother him now? An emperor suffering from sleep deficiency wasn't any good to anyone. Lysander was about to growl and the foolish knocker, when he suddenly remembered, that Ceto had promised him an update in Jira's condition early this morning. Lysander's mood brightened at the thought of Ceto being the first person he laid eyes upon, after waking. Swimming to the door, he smoothed down his tousled hair, from his night of restless sleep, and opened the door. To Lysander's surprise, it was not Ceto behind the door. Instead, the emperor was met by the much less pleasant form of his first cousin, Ladon.

"You look far worse than usual, coz," Ladon snickered.

Lysander hated Ladon ever since they were children. Some things it seemed, never change.

"What can I do for you, Ladon?" Lysander grumbled pinching the bridge of his nose. He truly didn't need this added headache so early in the morning.

"You could always feed yourself to the Kraken," sneered Ladon, entering Lysander's quarters without invitation.

"If you have nothing of any substance to say," Lysander barked at his cousin, "than leave, so that I may go back to bed."

"Ah, typical, typical, Lysander," Ladon smiled, "you single handedly taint the sacrifice, and your solution is to sleep it all off. As if that is going to slove any of our problems."

"What happened to the child is not my doing," Lysander growled defensively, "I proceeded with the utmost caution while..."

Lysander's epic speech was interrupted by a grotesque snort, given by Ladon. This only enraged Lysander even further.

"I risked my life on that journey, while you were safely tucked away in your bed, Ladon," Lysander was going in for the kill, "quite the embarrassment, if I do say so myself. After all, you do come from a long line of the most powerful Murkens to have ever been born. What a pity to waste your god-given talents."

Lysander stopped for only a moment to watch as Ladon's upper lip curled into an angry snarl. Now was his opportunity to strike with the finishing blow.

"Oh wait," the emperor laughed apologetically, " the Ancients' have forgotten to bestow upon you any powers at all. Imagine, a Murken from the royal bloodline without the slightest trace of magic. Surely, an anomaly. Oh well, I suppose that is why_ I _am emperor, and not you, Ladon."

"For now," Ladon spat at his cousin, "A halfling like you, will never amount to anything here. Your reign is destined to be short lived."

There it was. Halfling, the very word Lysander had dared Ceto to utter the night before. The priestess refused of course, but Lysander was left wondering if she had done so out of fear, or a want to spare his feelings.

"I am curious, Ladon," began Lysander, "why are you so eager to see Tiamat's return? It is no secret that the two of you did not share the greatest of relationships. She was ashamed of you, no?"

Ladon drew in an angry breath, but before he could reply to Lysander's latest insult, they two merman were interrupted by a familiar female voice.

"Excuse me?" the priestess cleared her throat, "Is all well here?"

"Ceto," Lysander breathed letting his guard down for a moment. Lysander did not take notice of the murderous scowl from his cousin.

"Lysander," Ceto began, while flashing a chastising glare in Ladon's direction, "the sacrifice..."

"Has her fever gone down at all?" questioned the emperor.

"No," replied the priestess, "I'm afraid it has gone up."

"Up!" shrieked Lysaner.

"Must you always state the obvious?" Ladon hissed.

Lysander did not take kindly to being spoken to in such a tone, and he readied himself to teach the infidel a much needed lesson, but he was deterred again, by Ceto's voice.

"Perhaps you should check up on the child yourself, Lysander?" suggested Ceto.

"Yes," Lysander sighed, running his fingers though his hair, "yes, of course."

With that, the emperor left Ladon hovering alone, and followed the priestess towards the nursery where Jira was waiting.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Nǐ hǎo! That's how you say hello in Chinese (Mandarin)!

I was going to write more, but I'm tired now, and going to bed. Wish me sweet dreams.

I wonder how it's going to go down between Triton and Ambrosia? Hmmm....

So, who do you hate more, Lysander, or Ladon? Oh what the heck? I'll throw Ceto in the mix too! Okay, the new question is: Who do you hate more, Lysander, Ladon or Ceto? Be sure to state your reasons!

Look within this chapter for clues! That's all I'm going to say...

One last thing, If you were going to align yourself with **A)** Zombie Librarians, or **B)** Evil Bunnies and Cookies, which would you choose. Ember and I would choose the Zombie Librarians!

I wanna be a producer, with a hit show on Broadway,

xJadeRainx


	48. Chapter 48: When Ideas Manifest

Ambrosia remained in a corner of King Triton's room shaking like seaweed. Sure, her grandfather was being nice right now, but Ambrosia had witnessed one of the King's awful mood swings that nearly turned Kelvin into sushi. The mergirl was frightened, to say the least.

"Come closer, Ambrosia, so that I can see you better," the king gave a gentle order.

The ten year old mermaid's brain urged her to remain where she was, but for some inexplicable reason, her body did not obey her, and Ambrosia began swimming towards her grandfather. Finally the girl was floating directly in front of Triton, King of Atlantica. What happened next was in the hands of fate.

"Ambrosia..." Triton began.

"I'm sorry!" the girl blurted out immediately, clinging to her grandfather in a tight hug.

The king returned the embrace kindly. When was the last time he had been given a hug? Before Adelaide went missing? When was the last time he had held his baby girl? Would ever see her again... alive? Triton swallowed hard, before again addressing his granddaughter.

"What ever for?" he smiled gently.

"I-I said some things," Ambrosia looked downwards, ashamed, "some really mean things."

King Triton sat the girl down on his massive bed, and looked Ambrosia directly in the eyes. His granddaughter was struggling with somethings, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it, and soon.

"You can tell me anything, Ambrosia," the king sighed.

"I wouldn't be so sure," the mermaid scrunched up her little nose.

"Why is that?" Triton pressed.

"I still remember what you did to Kelvin a few days ago..." Ambrosia's voice trailed off lightly.

"I," the king was at a loss for words, "I was having a bad day."

The mergirl smiled sheepishly, "So then, is this one of your _good_ days?"

"Yes, you can say that," her grandfather assured, "anything at all that's on your mind..."

"You miss Adelaide, don't you?" Ambrosia asked abruptly.

"Yes, I do," the King admitted, "and Cricket, and Hali, and Merrick, and Serene too."

"What about aunt Ariel and Melody," the girl added, "we hardly see them anymore."

"Of course," Triton stroked Ambrosia lovingly on the cheek, "I care for all my family, with a love greater than you can ever imagine."

"But you miss Adelaide the most, don't you, grandpa?"

King Triton stroked his long white beard in confusion, "I'm not sure where you are headed with this, Ambrosia dear. Adelaide is special to me. Now, Ambrosia, you are old enough to understand this, Adelaide is my little girl, and in my old age, I never thought that I'd cradle one of my children in my arms again."

"Grandpa?" the young mermaid again looked to the sea floor in shame.

"What is it?" Triton gingerly lifted his granddaughter's chin, until their eyes met again.

"I may or may not have said some terrible things about Baby Adelaide," confessed Ambrosia, "but I didn't mean it."

"Oh, I see," nodded the king.

"The thing is, I hate to see what's happening to this family," Ambrosia stated.

"What's happening?" the king asked genuinely confused.

Ambrosia blinked in shock. Was everyone in this family blind?

"We're slowly falling out of touch with each other, don't you see?"

"Out of touch?" Triton repeated.

It was true, the king realized. The family has been eerily silent these last few weeks, communication was at a standstill, and when was the last time someone went to the surface to keep Ariel up to date with news of her daughter? This truly was a disaster on even more levels than Triton had originally thought.

"Ambrosia," King Triton began in an official tone, "you're a clever girl. So you have any ideas on how to keep this family together.

"Yes!" the mergirl proclaimed proudly, "yes I do."

"And that is?" the king was beyond curious.

"Tide Tidings!"

Now, the king was immensely confused. What in Neptune's waters was a Tide Tiding?

"I'm afraid I don't know what that is, Ambrosia," Triton smiled apologetically.

"That's because it's an idea I have, grandpa!" laughed Ambrosia, "I thought of it, only yesterday."

"Go on," encouraged the king.

"Well, to be honest," the girl hesitated, "I'm not sure it would even work..."

"No, please continue," urged her grandfather.

"You know how you placed a magic spell on Aunt Ariel's family, so that Melody and Hali can turn into mermaids whenever they want?"

"Yes..." drawled the king, "but what does that have to do with your idea?"

"You're going to need your Trident to make my idea a reality, grandpa," explained Ambrosia.

Triton didn't know exactly what was going on in that little red head of hers, but he was more than eager to find out. Perhaps, Ambrosia held some miraculous key, that was going to keep this family from falling apart at the seams.

* * *

Lysander touched the tips of his finger's to the sleeping Jira's forehead. He was amazed to find how hot the girl's temperature actually was. Never in all his years had the emperor encountered a fever of this caliber, and Lysander had had his own experiences with fevers. As a child, it seemed that Lysander came down with sicknesses more other than the other Murken children. It was, emperor came to realize, because he was a halfling, an outsider to his own people.

Lysander clicked his tongue, "Well Jira, it seems you've developed a fever that rivals even my own."

"Oh, Lysander," Ceto chided his as if her were a child, "you are incorrigible."

"How so?" Lysander wondered.

"You never should have named her," Ceto explained her, "she's a sacrifice, not a pet. You'll grow too attached."

"It's a disgrace to die without a name, Ceto," Lysander was stunned. Attached? What in Ancients' Cause did she mean by that?

"She had a name, Lysander," Ceto pointed out.

"What? Adelaide?" Lysander scoffed, "One can't call that a name. It's the name of an outsider."

"She_ is_ an outsider, Lysander," Ceto maintained, "like..."

"Like what, Ceto?" the emperor's voice was stern.

"Lysander," Ceto was an expert at changing the topic of conversation, "what if her fever does not pass before the Blood Moon?"

"What do you mean?" Lysander asked.

"What are your plans for her? How are we going to dispose of her?"

"Dispose?" Lysander's heart skipped a beat, "Dispose?"

The emperor's head began to spin for about the twentieth time since he had risen from bed. Tiamat had not yet returned, and already Lysander could feel what little control he had over the kingdom slip between his fingers.

"Oh, Lysander please don't tell me..."

"Honestly Ceto, dispose of her? Murkens may be warriors, but we aren't barbarians."

"But we cannot keep her alive!" the priestess interjected, "with a power like hers, she could turn this kingdom to a pile of sand!"

"Or she could rule when I am gone, or at least too old to govern the kingdom efficiently. Jira is an heir, after all."

Ceto gasped, "Lysander, I can't believe I'm hearing this."

"I will not spill Murken Blood in vain, Ceto," Lysander was unwavering, "if the Blood Moon passes, and her fever has not broken, I will not harm her."

The emperor moved to touch the side of Ceto's cheek, but she cringed at the contact. Lysander ignored her reaction for the moment.

"She _isn't_ Murken, Lysander," argued the priestess.

"Jira is ever bit as Murken as I am," Lysander said angrily.

"Lysander, be sensible," Ceto's voice was calm, reasoning, "you're not really... the people wouldn't want to see her on the thrown any more than..."

"Than who?" the emperor questioned, "go on, finish your thought."

"Lysander, please..."

"Than me? Is that what you meant to say, Ceto?" Lysander questioned with hurt in his eyes, "the people wouldn't accept her reign any more than they do mine?"

"Lysander, you know how outsider are viewed here in Murk."

"I am not an outsider," Lysander shook his head, "I grew up in these very waters, same as you."

The priestess released and aggravated sigh, but said nothing.

"Ceto, we played together as children, remember?"

Lysander gently grabbed the mermaid by the arms, but she pulled away immediately.

"Ceto?" Lysander whispered, "why you?"

"I'm sorry, Lysander. It's just that your so..."

"Ugly?" finished Lysander, "I know. I've heard that all my life. Halfling, outsider, ugly. I'm not deaf. Even those who weren't brave enough to insult me face to face... I still heard the whispers."

"I was going to say, different," claimed Ceto, "that's all. Now, if you excuse me, I have other maters to attend to. There is nothing more I can do for the child."

With that, the priestess took her leave. So, Ceto meant to say, different. Lysander knew she was lying.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?

I**mportant note:** This is an unfinished chapter. Check back to read the rest. Soon to follow.

Sorry, but something literally just came up as I was typing and I promised Cover r life a new chapter before the start of the new year. I don't know if I have a chance to get back to this tonight, so please bare with me.

Converse r life, does this satisfy your Triton needs? Is Ariel the only one I need to worry about now? Forgive me!

Maybe it's much to early in the game, ah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same. What are you doing New Year's Eve?

Whoot! Whoot! We're back in business, now! My brother graciously lent me his laptop, JB. So, I can type on he go. Thanks, Riakel! (My bro's preferred screen name.)

Wow, Lyander was shot down! Still hate him Converse r life?

xJadeRainx

3, 2, 1 ... Happy New Year's, dear readers! For auld lang syne, my dear....


	49. Chapter 49: Concerns

Hali and her group had been swimming towards their destination nonstop, for over a day, now. They were all quite weary, but none seemed as tired as the young Serene. The little mermaid was at times, unceasingly cranky, sleepy, at still at other times, Serene appeared prone to speaking nonsense. The mergirl's latest ramblings was about a deadly starfish.

Xavier was carrying the girl in his arms, at the moment. Serene preferred to he held by Xavier, more than Merrick. Xavier was gentler or so she claimed. Surprising, aside from her initial reaction, Serene took the news of their "break up", rather well, for someone her age. Perhaps she wasn't as deeply in love as she had once thought.

Serene was in a light sleep, however, it did not appear that the mermaid was resting peacefully. Each member of the group listened in concern, at the words that unconsciously slipped from the child's softly moving lips.

"Starfish... blood... red moon... death..." Serene tossed and turned in Xavier's arms.

The stable hand turned to Hali in concern, "Maybe we should take a break now, Hali?"

Hali reached her hand outwards, to push vagrant strands of blond hair away from the girl's eyes. She had to admit it. Serene's words certainly were a cause for alarm. The poor little thing was probably strained far beyond that any one of them could imagine. After all, Serene was taken from her bed weeks ago in the middle of a sound sleep, and dragged halfway across the ocean. She had been forced to leave her best friend, Darwin behind, and was now with the company of her mother, father and older brother. Traumatizing, yes, but what was worse, poor Serene did not yet know why she was even on this journey in the first place. Hali had not told the girl that she was the Ocean's Star. Truth be told, Hali didn't know how to go about something like that. The Guardian was fully grown when she had discovered her powers. How could she now simply go and rip Serene's childhood clean away from her. Hali wished she still had Murphy for guidance, or at least Hachi and Kailani. Hali had not seen either the octopus or the dolphin since Tiamat was defeated. The Guardian found herself wondering if maybe Hachi and Kailani were something that Murphy had conjured up before his death. In addition to all this, Hali could not shake this foreboding feeling that had been growing in intensity for the past few days. There was her obvious fear for Adelaide, and even more curiously, whenever she looked Xavier in the eyes. Hali wasn't sure what that was all about, but she knew it was bad, and she also knew that Xavier wasn't going to open up about it any time soon.

"Yes," agreed Hali, "I think we should stop, for a while at least. We can have something to eat, rest for a few hours, and then continue."

"Only a few hours?" groaned Cricket.

"I'm sorry Cricket, " Hali shrugged, "but it's all the time we can afford. We need to find Adelaide."

Cricket dropped the topic immediately, for she came to realize that Hali was right, as usual. The problem was that mervillages in this part of the ocean were not just a rarity, but non existent. Which meant comfort, was a luxury they had left behind long ago. For a couple of royals like them, the journey was starting to take its toll. At least Xavier, and the adventurers slash explorers, Tip and Dash seemed to be coping.

"Tip?" Hali asked, "Is there a cave, or a cove, or at least an overhang where we can take shelter?"

"Sorry sweet cheeks," replied titanic Tip, "but in this particular part of the ocean, there is nothing but stretches of sand for miles."

Hali sighed, "Well we can't change that. I guess we're all just going to have to sit on the floor then."

* * *

Triton listened attentively as Ambrosia explained to him her idea of self proclaimed genius, which she had named Tide Tidings. Who would have ever thought that a child could come up with something so clever. The only problem that remained was how to implement this idea.

"So you see, Grandpa," Ambrosia explained intellectually, sound almost like Caspian did at times, "Tide Tidings work as a sort of message system, carried out through the water."

"Interesting," the king stroked his beard, "please continue, Ambrosia dear. I'm afraid I still do not fully understand."

"I'm afraid there is one problematic detail I still haven't been able to work out," the mermaid admitted.

"And what might that be?" asked Triton.

"Aunt Ariel, and Melody, and Hali... when their on land, that is."

"I see your point," her grandfather acknowledged, "they would have to be in the sea in order to receive or send any messages."

"But there's got to be away around that, Grandpa!" The girl shouted excitedly.

"Ambrosia," the king smiled gently, I just don't see..."

"Grandpa!" Ambrosia shout up with excitement, twirling like a torpedo in the water.

King Triton jumped up, startled at his granddaughter's sudden outburst.

"What is it, child?"

"Humans, can't live without water, Grandpa," Ambrosia sounded as if the answer was obvious all along.

Yet somehow, the king still did not know where Ambrosia was headed with this idea of hers.

"Ambrosia..."

"No really, Grandpa, humans can't survive without water. I know this because one time I told Hali that she was lucky that she didn't need to live in the sea, surrounded by water all the time, because merfolk would die without water," she chirped excitedly, "and then Hali said that humans need water to survive too. She said if they don't drink water, they'd die within a few days. Can you believe that? Humans need water too!"

"Yes, that is true, my dear," Triton agreed, "but that still has no bearing on your idea... the Tide Message."

"Tidings, Grandpa," Ambrosia sighed annoyed, "it's called a Tide Tiding, okay?"

"Right," Triton said in apology, "that's what I meant to say."

Ambrosia sat back down on her grandfather's bed, and attempted to think her way through this problem. Her grandfather watched the girl wit a mix of pride and bewilderment. What was running through Ambrosia's brain at the moment? Suddenly, the mermaid snapped her fingers.

"I've got it!"

"You've got what?" Triton wondered.

Ambrosia dropped her jay in disbelief, "an answer, Grandpa, a answer. Seriously, you're getting really old..."

"Now, Ambrosia," the king's voice issued a warning, "you mustn't talk to me like that...."

"Oh forget it, Grandpa," Ambrosia brushed off her grandfather, "just listen... If humans need water so badly, than they can't be far off from a water source, fresh water that is."

"Uh-huh," mainly the king was surprised that his granddaughter was speaking so freely with him, "go on."

"Okay, let's back track for a minute," Ambrosia retraced her thoughts, "my idea was to send a message though the water with our fingertips, which wouldn't pose a problem for merfolk like us, would it?"

"No," agreed Triton.

"But if we wanted to send a Tide Tiding to Aunt Ariel, for instance, she would have to already be in the ocean to receive it. What if it's the middle of the night, and Hali comes back, and we want to Aunt Ariel word. Does Aunt Ariel sleep in the sea, Grandpa?"

"Of course she doesn't," Triton answered confused. Ambrosia's speech was beginning to sound slightly erratic.

"Right!" exclaimed Ambrosia, "because she's a human, of course. Well, at least she's a human right now... anyway, even if it were the middle of the night, there should still be water nearby, in a goblet, or a wash basin... what if Aunt Ariel could get her message trough the water contained inside the goblet, or the wash basin..."

"I'm afraid that I am not following you, my dear," admitted King Triton.

"Okay," sighed Ambrosia, "let me start all over again. If Aunt Ariel was already in the ocean, then she could send and receive a Tide Tiding just the same as you or I could, right?"

"Yes, I imagine she could."

"Good," the mergirl continued, "but if you could find a way to link salt water and fresh water, she could receive a message from almost anywhere, because people never live far off from a fresh water source. See?"

"You know, Ambrosia," the king answered, finally understanding, "I think that I do."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Happy first day of the new year, reader! Did you have a good time. I thought that I got drunk on sparkling grape juice, (Welches) but then my boyfriend informed me that it would be impossible to do so... Oh well.

Gee, Ambrosia's idea is a little hard to follow, huh? Well, maybe it will clear it's self up soon...

Anyway, I have some bad news for any fellow fans of The Young and the Restless... Okay, take a deep breath. Are you ready? They recast the role of Malcolm. The hunkalicious Shemar Moore is no more! What possessed Y&R to do something like that?

This whole town can slow you down  
People taking the easy way  
But I know exactly where I'm going  
And getting closer every day

xJadeRainx


	50. Chapter 50 Tidings from the Tides

Later on that evening, Lysander again checked up on the child's status. The emperor lightly brushed his fingers against Jira's small forehead. He immediately pulled his fingers back in confusion. The child's fever was still climbing higher without reprieve. Lysander couldn't even understand how this was happening. All fevers eventually subside, but this one seemed even more stubborn than his father. The Blood Moon would rise in two days. If Jira continued on in such a way, the fever would surely kill her long before then. Lysander was torn.

The emperor scooped the poor child into his long arms, "Try to hold on until after the Blood Moon passes, Jira. If your fever breaks before then, I will be unable to help you."

Lysander gazed down into Jira's tiny face, rosy from the heat or the fever. He was unsure of how long he had been staring until, a venomous voice reached his ears.

"Ceto was right," sneered Ladon, "you do think of the brat as a pet."

"Jira is no pet, Ladon," Lysander snapped.

Ladon raised his eyebrows high, "How sweet. The halflings stick together."

Lysander swallowed his anger for the moment, "Do you want hold her?"

"No," Ladon's voice was a mixture of surprise, and plain disgust.

"But she's your..."

"She's my nothing!" Ladon replied aggressively.

* * *

For the first time in many weeks, Triton joined his relations for dinner. The initial reaction of the king's daughters and grandchildren, was that of shock, but their emotion was soon switched to delight. The royal family was so pleased with the sudden arrival of the king, that no one seemed to notice the absence of Ambrosia, not even her own mother, Adella.

"Grandpa!" all the young ones cried out.

King Triton smiled warmly at all of them.

"Daddy?" Attina asked gently, "are you feeling better this evening?"

"Yes, Attina," Triton grinned, "all thanks to Ambrosia."

"Ambrosia?" Adella scrunched up her nose, "where is Ambrosia, anyway?"

"She spent the afternoon with me," explained the king.

"Doing what?" Adella asked.

"We'll show you. Watch."

Watch what..." the adults began, but were cut off when their eyes noticed a large air bubble gracefully floating across the dinner table.

Usually, bubbles were not an uncommon sight under the sea, but something about this one was different. This particular bubble was singing, but not with words. Instead, the bubble drifted through the water, with a high-pitched tone. Not so high-pitched, and loud, that it would cause the ears distress though. In fact, the singing bubble was rather soothing. All present at the table watched with interest, except Adella, who felt oddly drawn to it. When the bubble was an arms length away from Adella, she was compelled to pot it. Adella reached out her pointer finger and poked at it. The bubble erupted with a soft, 'blup' sound.

"HI MOM!" the bubble shouted.

Everyone covered their ears at the abrupt sound. When their ears had been nursed back to perfect health, Adella began to look around the room, in search of her daughter. She was just about to issue the girl a stern warning, for barging into the dining room and screaming so unceremoniously. However, Adella soon came to realize that Ambrosia was still absent from the room.

"But... how did.. where is..." Adella babbled, "Ambrosia?"

King Triton let out a hearty laugh, "It seems Ambrosia was a little over enthusiastic. She is very excited over this idea. Wait a moment and I'll bring her to you."

Triton rose silently, and swam out of the dining room, in search for his grandchild, Ambrosia. The others were left, starting at each other in blatant confusion. It wasn't long before the king returned with a smiling Ambrosia at his fins.

"Sorry I was so loud, everyone," the mergirl giggled.

"Daddy?" Attina inquired with raised eyebrows, "do you care to explain?"

"Certainly dear," Triton began, "what you have all experienced was a Tide Tiding."

"A Tide Tiding?" Leomaris repeated, "What's that?"

Alana gave a sharp twist to her son's ear, urging him to be quiet.

"Ah, ah, Mom," whined Leo, "I'm too old for that kind of stuff."

"Quiet, Leo," Alana hushed.

Leomaris crossed his arms, and King Triton continued.

"A Tide Tiding is a magic message system, I developed, with Ambrosia's help of course," he smile at his granddaughter.

"How does it work?" Caspian asked with interest.

"Tide Tidings," Ambrosia explained," are carried by the tide from the sender to the receiver. It was my idea!"

"Yes it was," Triton laughed, "it the case of the first official Tide Tiding, Ambrosia sent a message to her mother. When it found Adella, she was so intrigued that she simply needed to pop it, a sort of uncontrollable urge, correct?"

Adella simply nodded in confirmation.

"Can you give us a demonstration, grandfather?" pressed Caspian.

"But of course," the king held out his pointer finger and the tip began to glow with a golden. When the light subsided a small bubble was beginning to form.

Triton whispered something into the bubble, so that the other couldn't hear what he was saying. With that, the Bubble stated to grow, and traveled across the table in Caspian's direction. Just as his grandfather had described, Caspian was unable to resist popping the bubble.

"Yes!" he exclaimed in jubilation.

"Yes, what?" Alana frowned.

"Grandfather's bubble told me, that he was going to teach me how to drive the chariot!"

Alana was less than thrilled, to say the least. She wasn't too keen on the idea of her son driving a chariot lead by a bunch of wild dolphins. But how could she say 'no'? The looks on both her son and his grandfather was so happy.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Attina, "this is brilliant."

"It was my idea!" Ambrosia piped up, not wanting the king to receive all the credit.

"Yes, of course it was dear," Attina acknowledged, but then returned her attention to Triton, "these Tide Tidings wouldn't happen to work on land, would they?"

Triton smiled at his eldest daughter proudly, "They, in fact do."

"I'm sending a message to Ariel, right away!" squealed Attina.

"No!" King Triton's voice boomed.

"No?" Attina scowled in confusion, "why not?"

"Because," her father continued calmly, "I want to tell Ariel about this face to face."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hello again to all my friends! I would have continued this chapter, but I think it was a perfect place to end, don't you.

What did Ladon mean by, "She's my nothing?" Any guesses?

Converse r life, you will be pleased to know that your Ariel chapter is up next. Yea!

Be sure to check out my new stories _Le Plat de Poissons_, and my first ever _Beauty and the Beast_ fic, entitled _Twenty Girls and an Enchanted Rose_!

Look how she lights up the sky,  
Ma Belle Evangeline.  
So far above me yet I,  
Know her heart belongs to only me.  
J'adore, Je t'aime Evangeline,  
You're my queen of the night,  
So still,  
So bright.  
That someone as beautiful as she,  
Could love someone like me.  
Love always finds a way it's true!  
And I love you, Evangeline.

xJadeRainx


	51. Chapter 51: Bad Omens

Ariel stood on her balcony overlooking the glassy sea. It was one of the very few times she had to clear her mind, and just think. The queen had forgotten to throw on her robe before stepping out to the balcony, and she shivered slightly in the sea breeze. The moon looked different tonight. Normally, the moon would shine, white and radiant against the black of the heavens, but not this night. Ariel blinked a few times, thinking it was her vision, but no, the moon still appeared to be rust colored. Give it a few more days, and it seemed the moon would take on the color of blood. Ariel shuddered again, and her thoughts were pulled onto other subjects. The queen had heard nothing from Hali since the girl disappeared to Atlantica weeks ago. Her daughter had promised to return before the end of the month, but that was before Adelaide had been kidnapped. There was no telling how much longer Hali would need to be away. What was worse, there was no telling just how much danger her baby girl was truly encountering. Then of course, there was still the matter of Melody, the poor exhausted dear. At least Lance would not be much longer. He had sent word back to his wife, that he nearly had the mess King Leroy had created, all settled out, and would return to Melody the first change he got. Ariel sighed, upon his return, it would be Lance's responsibility to worry about Melody and...

Ariel's train of thought was interrupted, by a pair of strong arms wrapping around her middle.

"Ariel?" her husband nuzzled his face into her neck, "what are you doing out here? Where's your robe? It's cold. I can feel the chill on your arms. You should be resting."

She smiled at Eric's concern. Somehow, Ariel found herself falling more in love with that man with each passing day.

"Have you ever seen a red moon before, Eric?" his queen inquired.

"Hmm," Eric mused, "I can't say that I have. I've been watching it, and you're right. It does look as if its red hue is growing deeper, every night."

Ariel turned her head up to face the king, her bright blue eyes, already beginning to tear, "You don't think it's a bad omen, Eric?"

Eric pulled his beloved closer to his torso, determined to keep the poor shivering thing warm, "I don't believe in things like that, Ariel."

The queen rested for a few moments, contented, with the back of her head against Eric's broad shoulder, as he stroked her mass of red hair. Finally she spoke.

"But, Eric," Ariel whimpered, "we don't know anything about where Hali is, what she's doing, if she's all right..."

The king cut his wife off immediately, "She'll come back to us, Ariel, in one piece, too. I know it."

As Eric gazed down, taking in Ariel's gorgeous features, marred with worry lines, he could see that she still needed more reassurance. So, the king did the only thing he could think to do. Spinning her around to face him, Eric pulled his wife into a deep kiss. In that moment, time seemed to freeze for Ariel, and she wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, as she fully enjoyed his kiss. Then Eric suddenly pulled away, which greatly disappointed his Ariel.

"What's that noise?" Eric asked, as he furrowed his dark brows.

"What noise?" Ariel asked absentmindedly, as she attempted to recapture his lips in a kiss, but then she heard it.

It was a pretty sound, high, and in perfect pitch, like a tuning fork. A mere few moments later, Ariel's eyes caught hold, of a pretty little bubble, drifting towards them serenely, on the light sea breeze. To Ariel's surprise, it was the bubble that was making the mysterious noise. She would almost go as far to say, that the bubble was singing. Eric regarded the bubble with caution, he had learned the hard way, many years ago, that even if magic appeared beautiful on the outside, it could be raging with evil on the inside. The king was wary to say the least. Ariel on the other hand, was not in the least fearful at the dainty bubble, quite the opposite in fact. Ariel felt so connected to the bubble, that she could scarcely resist it. The queen slowly reached out her finger in the bubble's direction, and Eric immediately opened his mouth to protest, but before he could let loose a single word, Ariel had already grazed the bubble with an expertly manicured fingernail. The real surprise occurred when the bubble ruptured.

'I've missed you, Ariel."

The queen's mouth hung open in disbelief. Her father's voice had just come out of that bubble. No, that couldn't possibly be the case. Ariel resolved that she had imagined the entire scenario. Perhaps Eric was right, Ariel need to rest for a change. She stole a fleeting glance at her husband, only to find him looking as perplexed as she felt. Some invisible force inside Ariel, forced her to quickly scan the ocean with her eyes. Right there, in the middle of the sea, Ariel spotted the tiny figure of King Triton looking up at her, and waving from the waves.

"Eric, look!" pointed the queen, "my father."

Ariel turned to face her husband, "Sorry, Eric, but I need to..."

"Go," Eric nodded, "it's fine."

Ariel quickly pushed open the balcony's double French doors, leading to their room, and was nearly half way out the door when she heard the king's voice.

"Put on your robe, Ariel!"

She could tell it was an order, so Ariel hurriedly jumped back into the room, and grabbed her robe that was hanging across the high back of an upholstered chair. The queen threw the robe over herself and tied it closed with one swift, yet graceful movement. Having appeased her husband, Ariel continued racing down the palace corridors, in her bare feet, making her way towards the beach. In less than five minutes flat, Ariel's toes had touched the coarse sand, but she did not stop running, even after she reached the edge of the sore. Ariel wasted no time, and splashed into the water, not even bothering to hike up her robe. When Ariel was knee deep in salt water, her father dipped beneath the waves, and resurfaced directly in front of her.

"Oh, Daddy!" Ariel cried as she flung her arms around her old father's neck.

"Ariel," Triton began, "I..."

"Is there any news about Hali," Ariel interrupted, "any news at all?"

"Well, none yet, I'm afraid..."

With that, Ariel once again commenced to tears, leaving King Triton baffled beyond all measure.

"Now Ariel," her father gently soothed, "none of that sweetheart. I have something to share with you, if you would only stop crying, I could..."

"The bubble!" shrieked Ariel, "Daddy, what was that bubble all about? Did you send it?"

Triton smiled, "That's exactly what I wanted to tell you, Ariel. That bubble was..."

"Magic!" his daughter filled in, "from you're Trident!"

"Yes," Triton began once more, "Ambrosia calls it, a Tide Tiding. It's a from of..."

"Messages! Communication!" gasped Ariel, "Oh, Daddy!"

"You guessed it, my darling," King Triton was left feeling a bit deflated. He had wanted to be the one to tell Ariel, instead, the bright girl had figured it out for herself.

"You send a message to Hali, this instant, for me, Daddy," Ariel commanded, "tell her."

"No," her father's reply was short, blunt.

Ariel's face fell, faster than in takes to blink.

"No?" she repeated in shock and anger, "what's that supposed to mean, no?"

"Now, Ariel calm down," urged Triton.

"I will not_ calm _down," his headstrong daughter challenged, "not until you send one of your magic bubbles to Hali and tell her..."

"Tide Tiding, dear," King Triton corrected.

His words threw Ariel into a fuming rage, "I don't really care what they're called, Daddy! Just tell Hali..."

"Why would I Ariel," the king smiled as he spoke, "when you can tell her yourself."

* * *

"So, that is Murk," Hali whispered mostly to herself.

"That's right, Fishgirl," Tip answered, "just ahead."

"It won't be much longer, then," Merrick added, "we'll easily reach the kingdom by sunrise."

Each member of the group gazed at the distant city, memorized. They could hardly believe that after all this time, they were finally there.

"We wastin' time, mon," Sebastian finally snapped the others out of their daze, "lets git goin', now."

"You're right Sebastian," Hali commented.

"Of course I'm right, girl," Sebastian began, "I'm always right. Now, let's go."

Hali grabbed Serene, who was awake at the moment, by her wrist, and tugged her forward. Only Hali stopped immediately at the sound of Serene's terrible whimper.

"Serene, I'm sorry. Did I squeeze you too hard?" Apologized Hali.

The little mermaid did mot reply, but instead she omitted yet another whimper. This time, Hali's entire body was sized with concern.

"Serene!" Hali cried, shaking the girl, "what's wrong. Tell me what's wrong!"

It was then, that Hali noticed a far away look in Serene's brown eyes. She was about to call for Merrick, when Serene's eyes began to glow with a sepia hue. Hali knew that the girl was having a vision. Then all at once, the glow faded, and little Serene was left looking horrified.

"Serene, what did you see?"

Hali's question was soon answered by the child.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Boy, that was a great place to end, wasn't it! I'll bet you can't wait to see what happens next, too bad, though. You'll just have to wait until the NEXT update. HA! I'm so mean, sometimes...

Okay, Converse r life, this was your Ariel chapter. Now, I should be fully forgiven, right? Right?

So, if you had a blue, banana eating chicken, what would you name it? Just wondering...

We're gonna take ya down,  
We're gonna take ya all the way!  
Going down the bayou,  
Going down the bayou,  
Taking ya all the way

xJadeRainx

Whew, I think I've finally mentioed lyrics to all the songs appearing in The Princess and the Frog. Congratulate me!


	52. Chapter 52: The Vision

"S-starf-fish," stuttered the frightened Serene.

"Starfish?" Hali echoed in confusion, "Serene, I don't understand?"

Merrick and Cricket had been engaged in some sort of petty argument, but it was dropped immediately, as Merrick swam over to see what was going on.

"Hali," Merrick began, "what's happening here?"

"I don't know," Hali admitted, "She had a vision, just now. I think she's in shock."

"S-starfish," Serene continued to whimper.

"What starfish, Serene?" Hali shook the girl by the shoulders, "Where?"

"A-adelaide..."

Hali gave a worried glance at Merrick for a split second, before returning her attention of Serene.

"Tell us about Adelaide, Serene," Hali begged, "what did you see?"

"The starf-fish," sniffed the mergirl, "it hurt her."

"What is she talking about, Hali?" Merrick questioned, "starfish are harmless."

"Quiet, Merrick," Hali warned, "Serene, can you even hear me?"

"B-blood... b-lood..."

Hali pulled the girl into her arms, "Merrick, I think Serene might still be having the vision. I'm not sure... she just isn't responding."

By now, Xavier, Cricket, Sebastian, Tip and Dash had all formed a crude semi-circle around Merrick and Hali, who still held Serene in her arms. The poor girl looked ashen, and her lip was quivering with fear. It scared the life right out of all of them to see Serene behaving in such a way. Then, all at once, Serene appeared to snap out of her trance with a single violent jerk. Hali and the others were beyond relieved to see the child in her normal state. That was, until Serene again opened her mouth to speak.

"The starfish..." Serene's voice trailed off, and Hali could read the fear in the girl's brown eyes.

The group had been holding their breath in anticipation, but when they heard the word 'starfish' escape Serene's lips, most were unable to hold back their sighs of distress.

"Here we go again," whined Merrick, running his fingers through his hair.

"Merrick, please!" Hali snapped in irritation, "please..."

Hali did not bother to finish her sentence, because Serene began an attempt to wriggle out of her grip.

"Serene?"

"The starfish... it cut Adelaide across her throat..." Serene's big brown eyes began to tear.

Hali winced at Serene's words. Just the mere thought of something that gruesome made her sick to her stomach. Luckily, her stomach was empty, from a lack of food. Everyone's stomach was empty for that matter.

"Blood... blood... dripping everywhere... and then..." Serene let out an audible gasp.

"And then what, Serene?" Hali asked again.

"And then..." there was another whimper from Serene, "and then...Tiamat."

As soon as the name of the ice queen, escaped Serene's tiny mouth, the girl fainted.

"Is she...okay?" fretted Cricket.

Hali brushed some blond hair away form Serene's face, and handed her over to Merrick.

"She's fine," relayed Hali.

The group gave a collective sigh, except for Hali, who frowned.

"Come on," ordered the Guardian, "we need to reach Murk immediately. I don't think we have much longer."

* * *

Lysander stormed towards his study. He needed to be alone at the moment. The emperor needed time to reflect, time to beseech the Ancients. Lysander needed guidance. The Blood Moon would rise the following evening, and Jira's fever was still rising. Even after his arguments about not condoning the spilling of innocent Murken blood, Ceto still wanted her dead. Ladon still wanted her dead. His head was pounding. The people didn't view her as Murken. They didn't view him as Murken either. Lysander angrily pushed open the door to his study, and flinched backwards. The emperor hadn't expected to see Ladon sitting at his desk, in his chair, pouring over his books.

"What business do you have here," Lysander growled with narrowing eyes.

"I was only reading up on the Blood Moon ceremony, gentle coz," Ladon smiled as he craftily closed the book.

Lysander certainly was in no mood for Ladon's little games.

"Get out," there was a dread calm about the emperor's voice.

"My, aren't we testy this evening," Ladon smirked, "but if you insist..."

Ladon tucked the book he had been reading under his arm, and made to leave Lysander's study.

"Stop, Ladon."

"Yes?" Ladon innocently raised an eyebrow.

"Leave the book," ordered Lysander.

"Surely, you wouldn't mind loaning it to me, Lysander," Ladon began, "after all, we are cousins."

"The book belongs to me," the emperor was stoic, "place it on my desk and go."

"As you wish," Ladon sighed with a wave of his hand.

Lysander watched as his cousin laid the book upon the desk, and leave the room without the customary bow. The emperor remained still, glaring at the closed door for several moments. Finally, Lysander flopped into his chair, aggressively pushed the book off his desk, and buried his face in the palms of his hands. After rubbing his temples with his fingertips, Lysander retrieved the book, laying sprawled open on the floor of the study. Picking up the book, the emperor read the title: Noslēpumi Asinis Mēness.

"_Secrets of the Blood Moon_," Lysander whispered to himself, sitting back down in his chair, "what could you be planning, Ladon."

Lysander flipped open the cover, and began to read the manuscript. Before he was even finished with the first page, the Murken was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Enter," grumbled Lysander.

Slowly, the door opened, and the emperor looked up to meet the gaze of Ceto.

"I am tired, Ceto," Lysander sighed, "what is it, now?"

The priestess offered a thin smile, "The child's fever has broken."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah **

Wow. Who feels bad for Serene? No child should have to see things like that, even if they are only visions.

Hm, Lysander sure does cling tightly to the Ancients, doesn't he? I wonder if the Ancients ever really helped him, during his lifetime. Also, it seems young Lysander behaves older than he really is. How sad...

Thanks, Princess Cricket for answering my question. A blue banana eating chicken named Carl, huh? Incidently, Carl is also the name of my producer for The Fish Dish. HA!

Dragon Tales, DragonTtales. It's almsot time for Dragon Tales,

xJadeRainx


	53. Chapter 53: The Star and the Starfish

Lysander's stomach lurched at Ceto's words. His head began spinning once more. Jira's fever had broken. It was final then. The ceremony would continue on as scheduled. Tiamat would return, and his people would be happy again. That was all Lysander wanted in the first place. Why then, did he feel so completely awful about it.

"Lysander?"

Just the sound of Ceto's voice made Lysander's head ache with an even greater intensity.

"Yes, Ceto?" his voice was oozing with irritation.

"The child," the priestess began, "surely you are going to check on her condition yourself."

"No, Ceto. Not immediately, at least."

"Lysander," chided Ceto, "it's your responsibility as..."

"I am tired, Ceto,"Lysander snarled, "I shall check on Jira in the morning."

"But," protested Ceto, "there's still the matter if..."

"In the morning!" the emperor roared in anger.

The priestess had never before seen Lysander so enraged. She wondered what is was all about. Ceto had merely come to give him an updat4e on the health of the sacrifice, and Lysander had verbally attacked her, like a madman.

"Are you certain?" Ceto asked, "The Blood Moon..."

"We still have the entire day tomorrow to prepare for the ceremony, Ceto. It can wait."

"Lysander..."

Ceto's tone was akin to how a mother reprimands her child. The emperor did not appreciate the fact in the least.

"Leave me," Lysander sighed wearily.

"Of course," Ceto gave a quick bow of her head, and silently left the study.

When Ceto was well out of sight, Lysander released a deep breath he had been holding subconsciously. He drew in a few jagged breaths, in an attempt to regain some control over his lungs. Gazing down at his hands, Lysander realized that they were shaking. Worse yet, the emperor's head was still pounding. Perhaps it was time for him to retire after all.

* * *

"But what did she mean by starfish?" Merrick asked Hali again.

"Merrick," Hali answered through clenched teeth, "how many times do I have to tell you that I don't know?"

"I just don't understand what she meant," repeated Merrick.

Hali could feel something in the back of her brain, snap clear off, and with an aggravated shriek, took a lung at her cousin. Merrick dodged her expertly, despite the fact that he still held the unconscious form of Serene in his arms. However, Hali was undeterred, and prepared herself for another charge against Merrick. Only, this time, Hali found that her body was unable to move. Had Hali not been so infuriated at the particular moment in question, she might have noticed that Xavier had wrapped his muscular arms around her waist, in an effort to keep her from homicide. Instead, it took Hali several minutes before she came to realize why her body wold not obey her commands. However, once Hali realized that she was comfortably tucked in Xavier's tight embrace, her body began to relax.

"Calm down, Hali," he whispered in her ear.

The guardian wanted to melt into the arms of her love, and amazingly, she could feel her irritation towards Merrick dissolve.

"I'd still like to know what Serene meant by starfish," Merrick grumbled.

Hali drew in a sharp breath, and Xavier could feel that Hali's body was starting to tense up again.

"Well, we're all going to have to wait until Serene wakes up," Xavier directed to Merrick, "There's nothing we can do about it, so just drop the subject for now."

Hali couldn't have loved him anymore then she did at that moment in time.

"He's right, Mer," Cricket agreed, enjoying how her big brother cringed at the nickname she had bestowed upon him.

"Id does make sense, mon" Sebastian chimed in.

"Fine," Merrick relented.

"You should never argue with a lady," Dash added wisely.

"I said fine," Merrick repeated, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

"Are you all right there, fish boy?" questioned Tip, "You're looking a little red in the face."

"Look!" squealed Cricket, "Merrick's blushing!"

"Stop it, stop it. We're wasting time," Merrick sighed, swatting his sister's had away form his face.

"Oh my goodness," Hali said in disbelief, "that's what I've been saying this whole time, while you were hung up on the starfish bit!"

"I only asked because I'm concerned," Merrick defended himself.

"We're all concerned," Merrick Hali growled.

"Yeah, that's right!" Cricket added.

The volume of the conversation was beginning to grow again, and no one noticed that little Serene began to stir in Merrick's arms.

"Why does everyone have to be so loud?" Serene complained, "I was trying to sleep, you know. Ce me fait chier!"

"Serene!" Hali's group all called out together.

"What?" the girl replied, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"You're okay," Hali cooed, as she snatched the girl away form Merrick, "we we're worried."

"Don't worry about me," Serene added wisely, "I'm a big girl. Worry about Adelaide."

"Yes, Adelaide," Hali sighed, "Serene, do you remember what you saw about Adelaide?"

"Yes," the mergirl shuddered, "but I don't know why? Does that mean Adelaide's dead?"

"No, Serene," Hali tried to explain, "Adelaide is not dead, at least not yet."

"But how do you know, Hali?" Serene asked.

"Well, what you experienced is called a vision," The Guardian began.

"I have good vision," the girl chirped, "my daddy says so all the time."

Hali paused for a moment, thinking up a way she could thoroughly explain Serene's gift.

"Um," Hali began, "it's not that kind of vision, Serene. It was more like telling the future."

"Telling the future?" echoed Serene, "like a fortune teller?"

"Sort of," Hali conceded, "Serene, you have a special power that can help you see important things before they happen? That means you can see things that ordinary people can't."

"I can?"

"Um-hum," Hali hummed, "You are a very special mermaid, called the Ocean's Star."

"I am?"

"Yes," Hali breathed, "Now, Serene this is extremely important. You need to tell us everything you saw in your vision about Adelaide. What did you mean when you said a starfish cut her?"

"I was a starfish," Serene pouted, thinking the others didn't believe her, "but it wasn't like a regular starfish. This one had really sharp arms. It..."

Serene's voice broke off there, and she began to whimper.

"It what, Serene? Tell us." urged Hali.

"I-it... s-she... Adelaide was lying on a flat stone, but it wasn't on the ground it was raised."

"Sounds like a pedestal," Xavier offered.

Hali had to agree, "Go on, Serene. It's okay. We're all right here beside you."

"Um," sniffed the little mermaid, "the s-starfish... it began to slice Adelaide across her throat, and then her blood began to trickle, and then I was T-tiamat, but just her face. She was laughing. Adelaide died and she was laughing."

Serene was immediately reduced to tears when she finished sharing her vision with the group, and Hali pulled the poor girl into a tight hug.

"It's going to be okay, Serene," she tried to sooth, "we're going to find Adelaide and bring her home safely."

"H-hali," Serene said between sobs, "if you knew I was a fortune teller, why didn't you tell me about it. Ce me fait chier."

"I know, Serene. I know, and I'm sorry," Hali apologized, "I should have told you sooner."

Serene did not respond to Hali's apology, but only buried her face deeper into Hali's shoulder. The guardian wished she could give Serene some more time to recover from the shock, but they really needed to continue their way to murk. There was absolutely no telling how much time little Adelaide had left. Every second that passed counted against them.

Hali handed Serene over to Xavier, who was curiously still the child's favorite person, and said, "Let's go, now."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Poor Serene. Hali really should have told Serene that she was the Ocean's Star long before now. Oh well, what's done is done. Although I do wonder what this starfish thing is all about, don't you?

Lysander yelled at Ceto. That's a first. The Blood Moon ceremony is still scheduled to take place! Poor Adelaide.

At the end of the day, you're another day older,

xJadeRainx


	54. Chapter 54: The Unexpected

In the morning, Lysander had no choice, but to see how little Jira was doing. The emperor stifled a yawn as he swam towards the nursery. Lysander had experienced yet another restless night, and was beginning to wish, he had never brought Jira to Murk in the first place. Only, there was nothing to be done about that now. Jira would perish at the rising of the blood moon, and Tiamat would return to bring Murk back to glory. Lysander was giving his people what they wanted, and that was honorable. At least, that was what Lysander tried to convince himself. Ceto was already awaiting the emperor by the time he reentered the nursery.

"Sleep well, Lysander?" Ceto asked, in a forced politeness.

"I did," the emperor lied, "and the child?"

"The sacrifice's temperature is now at a normal level," replied the priestess.

At that, Lysander's stomach gave an involuntary lurch.

Why was his body behaving so strangely, as of late? Lysander grazed the sleeping merbaby's forehead, and found it to be as cool as a sea cucumber. But maybe...

"Are you sure Jira is fine, now," Lysander started, "perhaps she suffers from a sore throat, a runny nose... anything that might interfere with the ritual?"

The priestess shook her head at him, "Don't fret so, Lysander, the little wretch is the picture of health. The ceremony should go along without a hitch."

"Splendid," Lysander whispered, as his stomached churned once more.

"Come," Ceto ordered, gesturing towards the door, "we have yet to inspect the instruments and the ritual grounds."

The emperor glanced at peacefully sleeping child, an inexplicable, searing pain tore through his heart for a moment, but he quickly pushed it aside, and followed Ceto out of the nursery. They glided through the dark, water filled corridors of the Murken castle, until they were outdoors. The priestess immediately ushered Lysander into a nearby temple, where Murkens would pay their daily respects to the Ancients.

"This is where the ceremony is to be taking place, this evening," Ceto stated, absentmindedly.

"Here?" Lysander gasped, "On hallowed ground?"

The priestess let out an amused chuckle, "Of course Lysander, the child is a sacrifice to the Ancients, after all. Now, let's go inside."

Lysander had frequented the large stone temple, more times than he could count in his lifetime, but never before, had it made the emperor's skin crawl. The only thing Lysander desired at the moment was to leave the temple immediately. Unfortunately, he had responsibilities.

"This is the sacrificial platform," Ceto explained, "the child will be placed here as the Blood Moon rises."

Lysander winced subconsciously, he had seen the pedestal before, but he had never known what its purpose was, until that moment. The emperor traced Ceto's movements with his eyes, as she swam over to the alter, and grasped an object in her pale hands. The priestess swam back over to Lysander with the object, and pressed it into his large palms.

"This is the instrument that will be used to perform the ritual," mentioned Ceto.

Lysander studied the item carefully. It was a five pointed blade, with serrated edges, a very primitive looking thing. Lysander couldn't help but think, the blade looked something like a starfish. It was quite ironic, really. Starfish were completely harmless, this blade however, was not.

"The blade is stained," the emperor thought aloud.

"It must be left over blood from a previous ritual," Ceto answered.

"What is it called, Ceto?"

"The instrument?" questioned the priestess.

"Yes, the instrument," Lysadner sounded just the slightest bit annoyed.

"It's called the Serriform Star," Ceto explained easily, "you'll be using it later this evening to perform the ceremony."

"What was that?" Lysander asked incredulously.

"The Serriform Star will be your instrument, when you slit the ritual's throat."

The emperor's heart began to pound, as his blood ran cold through his veins, "Ceto, I didn't know this. I thought you were... I was under the impression... Jira... I cannot do this."

"Lysander," scolded Ceto, "you never should have named her. It's only going to make the job harder now."

"But I thought you were going to.." Lysander paused, "to perform the ritual, not me."

"No," Ceto corrected.

"Why can't you do it?" panicked Lysander.

"I will be chanting to the Ancients, Lysander. Moreover, a blood relative needs to make the cut."

"Then Ladon can do it," the emperor was finding it hard to breath, "he's Jira's..."

"Stop it, Lysander," warned Ceto, "She's a sacrifice, nothing more. Further, Ladon cannot; he doesn't have magic for whatever reason, the Ancients forgot him. He can't. Lysander it has to be you, no one else."

* * *

Hali and the others finally hovered buoyantly in the dark, cold water of Murk. Their surroundings were deadly quiet. It was very early morning, still. Murkens had not yet woken to begin their day. However, that fact was bound to change at any given moment.

"Where are we going to start?" Merrick asked his cousin.

Hali had the uneasy feeling that they needed to find Adelaide as quickly as possible.

"The castle I suppose," Hali contemplated, "It had to be one of them who took Adelaide. Cricket, what did they look like, again?

"All I saw, before I fell unconscious was a younger merman, maybe my age, and two older merman. The younger one appeared to be their leader."

"The big question is, who is he?" Hali asked mostly to herself.

"Odd," Merrick whispered.

"What's odd?" Hali asked looking up at her cousin.

"That noise," Merrick answered, "don't you hear it?"

Hali paused for a moment, straining her ears. Sure enough, she became aware of a musical, high pitched sound. The Guardian was almost alarmed, before she noticed a bubble, silently floating towards her.

"The bubble," Hali pointed out, "It's making that strange sound."

Hali swam to it. The bubble was alluring to say the least, and she needed to investigate. The Guardian could not restrain herself. She gingerly reached out her pointer finger, and popped it.

"Hali, we love you and miss you. Please let us know if you are safe. You already know how, just look inside your hear. Mom. Oh, and let us know if Xavier is well. That way I can at least tell his father that he is still alive."

Was she delirious?

"Hali, did your mother's voice just come out of that bubble?" Merrick asked.

Good. So, she wasn't going crazy. But then, what just happened?

"Yes," Hali began unsure, "but how?"

Immediately after Hali finished her question, two more bubbles appeared, drifting towards them, humming their beautiful notes.

"What's going on," Xavier asked.

"I not sure," Hali admitted.

Before she even finished, speaking, Merrick and Cricket had already popped the bubbles. receiving messages from Attina and Jade.

"What did your bubbles say?" Hali asked her cousins.

"Basically the same as yours...." Merrick's voice trailed off, because there was still another bubble.

Little Serene, who had been sleeping. supped poked up her tired head. Something was calling to her.

"What's that?" Serene asked pointing to the bubble, "It's pretty."

Before anyone knew it, Serene had wriggled out of Xavier's grip, and popped the singing bubble.

"Mommy, Daddy, Kelvin, and Darwin say hi," the bubble said.

"Well, that was weird," Serene commented, "Why was Mommy's voice trapped in the bubble, Hali?"

"I think it's a sort of message...." Hali abruptly ended her sentence when she caught a glimpse of Xavier's face.

Poor Xavier's complexion was chalk white. He didn't look well at all.

"Xavier?" Hali asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Xavier opened his mouth to reply, but instead air bubbles escaped, as water filled hi lungs.

"Xavier!" Hali shrieked, "Tip, Dash, get him to the surface, now!"


	55. Chapter 55: Practice Makes Perfect

Lysander turned the ominous looking tool, which he had learned was called the Serriform Star, over in his fingers, and gulped. Poor Jira was slumbering away in her cradle, completely oblivious to the horror that awaited her at the rising moon. Never, in Lysander's eighteen years, had he felt so uneasy, so on edge, as he did now, inspecting the instrument. His body was certainly behaving strangely as of late, and he suspected it was due to his great lack of sleep. What else could it be? Perhaps, after the ceremony was over, things would change, and the emperor would be able to rest once again.

"Lysander?" Ceto's voice cut through his head like a sharp blade, making the emperor's migraine worse than it had ever been.

Lysander began to suspect something was seriously Wong with his health. He would go see a healer immediately following the ritual.

"Lysander?" the priestess asked again, "is there something the matter?"

"W-what?" the emperor stammered, seeing as his head felt dreadfully hazy.

"Are you feeling well?" Ceto rephrased, "your behavior is even more unusual than normal, recently."

"I'm perfectly fine, Ceto," Lysander maintained.

"Good," Ceto rubbed her hands together, "shall we practice?"

"Practice?" Lysander repeated in confusion, "what do you mean by that? Practice what?"

"Oh, Lysander," Ceto sighed in disappointment, "haven't you done any research on the Blood Moon practices?"

Lysander only looked away from the priestess' piercing gaze, one intending to reprimand.

"The cut to the sacrifice's throat, must be done precisely, Lysander," Ceto explained, "we cannot afford any mistakes at this point. One chance, that's all we have."

"I don't know what you want from me, Ceto," Lysadner whispered in despair.

"I want you to practice," the priestess reiterated, "each of the five blades, must slice into the sacrifice at just the right moment."

"And what, by chance, am I supposed to practice on?"

"Me," Ceto said coolly, offering the emperor her right arm.

Just then, Lysander's stomach gave another lurch, at the mere thought to cutting into living flesh.

* * *

As soon as Xavier's head broke the surface of the ocean, the stable hand immediately sputtered out salt water, and gasped for precious air. He clung limply to the neck of the walrus, who was greatly concerned for Xavier's health.

"Are you all right there?" Dash inquired.

Xavier did not reply however, as he was busy attempting to catch his breath, and fill his lungs with the glorious thing called oxygen.

_You've been ignoring me, Xavier._

Lilith's voice was as angry as Xavier had ever heard it.

"What do you want from me?" Xavier managed between gasps.

Meanwhile, Tip and Dash were observing with interest.

"Something wrong there, Fish Boy?" Tip asked, concern seeping into his voice, although the penguin tried to hide it.

Again, Xavier did not answer.

_I've told you time and time again, Xavier. I want your friendship._

"Well, you don't exactly make that easy," rasped Xavier.

"What is he talking about?" Dash asked, addressing his lifelong companion.

"I'm not sure."

_We entered into a covenant, Xavier! I've contacted you more times than I can count, and still you don't reply._

"I've been busy with other pressing matters," Xavier groaned. He was really beginning to feel lightheaded.

_Trying to save the babe? Xavier, that was not part of our agreement, remember?_

"No."

_Tisk, tisk. The deal was for me to give you fins, so you might win back the love of the princess. She forgave you weeks ago, Xavier._

"I don't understand," Xavier tared at his wet air.

_You were supposed to return to me. How can I collect on our friendship, if your lolly-gagging about in the sea?_

"Return to you? Collect?"

_I'm quite fed up with this, now, Xavier dear._

"Please..."

_No need to worry, Xavier. We are friends no more._

Soon enough, Hali surfaced, too, with no other intention than to check on Xavier.

"What's going on?" she asked in a panic.

"We have no idea," Tip admitted, "but he's been talking to himself for minutes now."

Hali swam up to Xavier, and took his face in her delicate hands, "Xavier..."

_She's pretty._

"Leave her alone," warned Xavier.

"Leave who alone?" Hali furrowed her eyebrows.

"What's happening?" Tip and Dash asked in unison.

Hali ran her fingers, along Xavier's face, and down the length of his arms. He was cold to the touch, his lips were blue, and his teeth were chattering. Hali even noticed, that some of his scales were beginning to recede. This was definitely not a good sign. As a merman, Xavier's body should be immune to the cold temperatures, the most he should feel was a slight chill. All this, Hali realized, can only mean one thing.

"He's turning back into a human," the Guardian worriedly answered her friends.

She's right. You love a smart woman, Xavier.

"Please," Xavier begged.

_It's too late to be nice now, Xavier._

Suddenly, Cricket and Merrick, with Serene in his arms, broke the surface.

"Xavier," Hali shook his urgently, "you have to tell me who you went to, for your fins. What were the limitations? Please."

_Don't even think abut it, darling._

"Hali?" Merrick gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "We're running out of time. Adelaide..."

The Guardian was torn. She knew that her cousin was right. They needed to find and rescue Adelaide as soon as possible, but how could she leave Xavier in this sate?

"Xavier," Hali whispered.

"Go," the stable hand shivered, "go and find Adelaide."

"But..."

"Don't worry about me," Xavier maintained, "I'll be fine."

_How sweet. You're so selfless, it's heartwarming._

Hali had only one last idea, that was worth a try. She plunged Xavier's head beneath the icy waves, and delivered to him, the Mermaid's Kiss. Perhaps, her magic was strong enough to override whatever was going on with him, at the moment. With one desperate attempt, Hali released every last ounce of her magic into that kiss. She needed Xavier to come home with her alive.

_You want to be a merman so badly, Xavier, than so be it. You'll have what you wish for._

When their lips, finally parted, Hali smiled. She was staring at Xavier's face, and he appeared to be perfectly healthy. Her plan worked.

"Are you going to tell me the truth, now, Xavier?" Hali asked more seriously.

"It's better if you don't know."

"Xavier!"

Merrick sighed, "Hali, we can't waste time on this now. You healed him. He's fine, now. let's go."

"Fine," Hali answered, looking sadly at Xavier, "you're right, Merrick. Let's go."

And so, one by one, each member of the group, again dived beneath the waves. Hali believed that whatever she did, had saved Xavier's life, but Xavier knew otherwise. What had iltih done to him now?


	56. Chapter 56: Long Awaited News

Something forced Ariel awake. The queen sat up in bed, and rubbed the sleep from her blue eyes. She stole a quick peek at her still sleeping husband. Eric was lying on his stomach, his thick, black hair in disarray. Ariel smiled, stroking his cheek. Then, she laid back down, next to her husband in an attempt to return to dreamland. Ariel gave Eric a quick kiss on the neck, and closed her eyes. This did not last long however, as Ariel once again shot upright in bed. Slowly, Ariel became aware of a sweet, high pitched sound. Ariel recognized that sound immediately. The queen turned her head in the direction of the humming. Eric had left a goblet of water sitting on his nightstand, and directly above the vessel, a beautiful, melodious bubble was floating peacefully. Ever so slowly, the bubble began to drift in Ariel's direction. It was calling to her.

Ariel broke out into a grin. That bubble had to be a message from Hali. Finally, after all this waiting, she could hear her daughter's voice again, for the first time in weeks. Ariel turned to Eric, and began shaking him urgently.

"Eric!" shouted Ariel, "Eric wake up!"

The king shot up, fast as a bullet, "What! Ariel! What's wrong?"

"It's a bubble," Ariel pointed, "it's a bubble from Hali!

Eric gave a heavy sigh, and shook his head. Ariel had sounded so desperate, as if the palace was on fire.

"I'm going to pop it now."

Ariel reached out a slender finger, and easily popped the singing bubble.

"All is well. Can't talk now. Hali," the bubble spoke.

Ariel blinked, but didn't speak a word. Surely there was more to the message than that. Ariel was a reasonable woman. She could be patient. However, when two minutes had come and gone, Ariel painfully came to realize that there wasn't anymore to the message, at all.

"I don't believe it," Ariel whispered in despair, "I just don't believe it."

"Now, Ariel," Eric began, prepping himself for damage control, "let's just remain calm for a moment."

"Calm?" Ariel laughed absurdly, "Calm! You want me to remain calm! I've been at my wits end worrying about Hali, and taking care of Melody and... and she has to go and pull one of her little stunts!"

"In her defense," Eric reasoned, "Hali's got to be busy. Maybe she didn't have time to..."

"Hi, Mom. I love you, Mom. Can't wait to see you again, Mom," Ariel threw her arms up in the air, "is that too much to ask for, Eric?"

"No, of course not, love, but really, you must see..."

"Instead she says, 'All is well. Can't talk now. Hali'," the queen snorted, "how impersonal! She doesn't love me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ariel," her husband whined, "Of course she loves you. At least we know Hali is still alive. That's good news, remember?"

"Yes," Ariel hissed, "at least we know she's alive. That way, when that child comes home, I can murder her with my own bare hands."

With that, Ariel flopped back down into the bed, and buried her face in the pillows. Eric remained a moment, stroking her bright red hair, before warping his arms around his wife, and lying beside her. Ariel could be really quite harsh when the mood struck.

* * *

The collection of makeshift rescuers, hovered prostrate in front of the towering structure, that was the Murken Palace. Somewhere hidden within its fortified walls, was their little Adelaide. The poor dear was probably terrified, homesick, and missing her daddy. The watched silently, observing their surroundings, and the layout of the castle. They couldn't afford at this stage in the game, to act rashly.

"I've never seen so many guards," Hali whispered under her breath, to the group, "it's going to be nearly impossible to get past them."

"Well, we've got to think of something," Merrick replied.

"They've got to have a blind spot," offered Xavier, "the palace can't be impenetrable."

"Yeah," Hali sighed.

"Um, guys?" Cricket asked, fear creeping into her voice, "what are those?"

"What?" Hali asked, not bothering to face her cousin. The Guardian's mind was preoccupied with other matters, at the moment.

"I mean those massive, ugly sea spiders, just over that trench."

Hali's body immediately tensed up, as she cautiously turned her head to see what Cricket was talking about. She remembered her last encounter with one of those things. It nearly had her and Sebastian for lynch. If it weren't for the Cavern of Echoes, they'd both be dead right now.

"Not dis agin, mon," Sebastian whined.

Hali shuddered, "Let's swim around the side of the palace, away from the sea spiders. Keep low. We can't have the guards spotting us."

"All right. Let's go," Merrick agreed.

The Guardian and her group all swam along the side of the Murken castle, staying low to the ground, and trying to conceal themselves behind marine plant life. It was essential that they move slowly, so as not to alert any Murkens to their presence.

"Look at that," Xavier pointed out, "it's some sort of entrance."

Hali remained still, and silent as she observed the entrance, which was basically a gaping hole in the side of the castle. The guardian studied the entrance for several minutes, not a single person either entered or exited, at all. There weren't even any guards patrolling the area in question.

"Odd," Hali's voice was just above a whisper.

"What do you want to do?" questioned Merrick.

"We can't rush into anything, Merrick," Hali explained, "we're going to sit here and watch that opening for a little longer."

"And then what?" Xavier asked.

"Then you, me, and Merrick are going in," Hali answered, "Cricket can stay here with Serene, Sebastian and..."

Suddenly, Hali stopped speaking. Something just didn't feel right. She turned her head to the left. Okay, there was no reason for her to panic, just yet. Then, Hali turned her head to the right. Nope. Nothing had changed. One of their group was still missing.

"Where's Cricket?" Hali asked, her anxiety growing by the moment.

"What do you mean, where's Cricket?" Merrick furrowed his eyebrows, "she's right... Cricket? Cricket!"

The mermaid, was no where to be seen.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Ah, return of the giant sea spider creatures! I hate spiders.... So does Sam, for that matter.

Well, it's a short chapter, but it's something. So, be grateful!

Hmm, what happened to Cricket, do you think?

Dream a little dream of me,

xJadeRainx

Goodnight, it is far past my bedtime.


	57. Chapter 57: Intruders Unwelcome

"Are you seriously asking me to cut into your skin, Ceto?" Lysander asked with a grimace.

"Stop acting like a child, and make the cut," the priestess clicked her tongue, "this needs to be done perfectly at the ceremony, or everything we have worked for will be for naught."

Lysander stared at the serrated Serriform Star, the tool looked as if it could do quite the bit of damage. Why anyone would willing want to subject themselves to that sort of pain, was beyond him. The thought alone of cutting into Ceto's skin tissue, mad Lysander sick to his stomach. He never really cared for the sight of blood, but he supposed it was best if he grow used to it. The cut to Ceto's arm, would be nothing when compared to what was in store for little Jira. Again, Lysander felt his stomach give a great lurch. The emperor only wished he knew what was causing his body to behave so strangely.

"Lysander," snapped Ceto, "if you're finished daydreaming, then go ahead and make the cut."

The priestess offered Lysander her ghostly, pale arm, once more. Lysander grabbed hold of her delicate limb, and Ceto flinched immediately. The emperor was stunned. Ceto practically ordered him to slice open her arm, without batting so much as an eyelash, but when it came to his touch, she cringed. When would Ceto ever accept him, for who he was? Never? It pained Lysander to think of it.

"This will hurt," the emperor warned.

"I am aware. Proceed."

Lysander hesitated, still unsure of himself. Ceto picked up on his insecurities immediately.

"It's just a cut, Lysander," the priestess used almost a comforting tone, "You've done worse. You've killed before."

The emperor offered a wan smile. Lysander possessed a high level power, not as great as his father or Tiamat, for that matter, but still, he could easily kill if he wanted to. However, that was not the case for Lysander. He had never hurt so much as a zooplankton before in his life. Of course, Lysander couldn't have his subjects think him a soft shelled invertebrate, so he had spun stories depicting himself a merman who would kill without a second thought. The emperor had made threats against the lives of Mar, Vex, and his perpetual irritation, Ladon, but he had never followed through. Lysander even told his people that he had killed an Atlantican girl, who had the misfortune of catching sight of him, the moment to Jira's kidnapping. In reality, Lysander had only placed a deep sleeping spell on the mermaid, and rather craftily laced the spell with a slight case of amnesia. Strictly speaking, the emperor was a fraud.

"Are you ready, now?" Cet's voice pulled Lysander from his musings.

Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Yes."

Lysander one again, took Ceto's arm in his hand, and placed the Serriform Star, just below her elbow, on the inside of her arm. Just as Lysander was prepared to make the incision, the door to the temple swung open.

"What is it, Vex?" Lysander growled. It irritated him, that anyone would enter the temple in such a disrespectful manner.

"An intruder has been apprehended at the Western Trench."

"Intruders!" Ceto shrieked, "Murk has never been infiltrated before, in all our kingdom's history. Who would..."

"Atlanticans," Lysander said calmly, "They've come after Jira. I suspected it was only a matter of time. How many are there?"

"One that we know of, but we suspect that she isn't acting alone."

"She?" Lysander was confused. Surely, Triton would have sent out a battalion to recover his daughter safely. Why would the king of Atlantica place his trust in a lone woman?

"Yes, she," Vex sneered, narrowing his amber colored eyes, "or perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?" Lysander hissed at the warrior.

"Perhaps," Vex continued, "the intruder is the ghost of a mermaid."

"A ghost?" the emperor repeated, his mind blanketed in a deep haze.

What in Ancients' Cause could Vex be talking about? The idea of a ghost was utterly ridiculous. Suddenly, a lump caught in Lysander's throat. No, it couldn't be. The odds of that, had to be astronomical. The emperor's face fell, as he gazed upon the hardened eyes of the warrior. Somehow, Lysander knew it was true.

"You claimed to have killed her, Emperor," Vex used the last word as an insult, "the night of the kidnapping."

"Lysander," Ceto whispered in disappointment, "say it isn't true. You killed her."

The emperor only pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply in response, "What's done is done. It cannot be changed. Take me to the prisoner."

* * *

Cricket was being held, behind bars, in a holding cell, deep within the walls of the Murken palace. She chastised herself relentlessly.

"Stupid, stupid girl, Cricket," she spat at herself, "couldn't stay with the group, could you? No, you just had to swim off on your own. Why would you even want to take a better look at monstrous, ugly sea spiders? You don't even like sea spiders, let alone the giant kind. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now, look at what you've done. Looks like Adelaide isn't the only one who needs rescuing."

If Cricket were a masochist, she would have slapped herself hard on the cheek. She needed to find a way out of this cell, immediately. Then she remembered the Tide Tidings. Her mother had sent a detailed message, describing the entire process of sending a Tide Tiding. It seemed simply enough.

Cricket extended her pointer finger, which began to glow golden for a minute, but soon enough a bubble began to form at the tip. She brought the bubble to her lips and spoke directly into the bubble, "Help. I've been captured. Currently held up in Murken Palace. Cricket."

The mermaid silently prayed that the Tide Tiding would reach Hali safely. That was all she could do. Then, Cricket's ears picked up on a soft sound, a click from behind the door. Someone had unlocked it, but who? It couldn't be Hali and the other, that much Cricket knew. Suddenly, the door swung open wide, and Cricket gasped. Never in a million years, would she ever forget that face. It was the same face that stole Adelaide away, in the middle of the night, the same face that placed a spell rendering her unconscious for nearly a day. How she hated that face!

"Hello," the Murken greeted.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Oh my goodness! This chapter took so long to write. That's because my internet connection kept dropping, and now my wireless mouse is going haywire. In order to finish this chapter, I need to borrow my brother's mouse, but he needs it back, so don't expect anymore chapters soon. (My wireless mouse is totally conked.) So no more chapter's until I can get a new mouse, sorry.

So, anyways, my new avatar is what Ember looks like now. She is quite the attractive looking juvenile, isn't she. Ember would like you all to know that she is at the top of her class in Dragon School. None of the other baby dragons can out fly her, and she's simply the best at breathing fire. I'm so proud! Check out my profile for a better look at her picture.

You creep into my heart, and make my heart burn,

xJadeRainx


	58. Chapter 58: A New Name for Cricket

Cricket was immediately stricken with how handsome this merman actually was. Somehow, she hadn't noticed his features during their initial meeting. Cricket's fear, must have clouded her vision that night. He was tall, with a nicely chiseled chest, tanned skin, and shaggy, black hair that fell over his right eye. He didn't look like the typical Murken at all. If fact, the only one of his features that would suggest he was Murken at all, was his large, deep set amber eyes. Cricket could see a depth of pain in those eyes. It almost made her pity the Murken, but then she remembered why she had ventured into Murk in the first place. It was all his fault. Everything. This monster, kidnapped their baby, dragged her halfway across the ocean, away form her family and the people who loved her. He had put Cricket under a deep spell, causing her family an even greater pain, of undue worrying. Now look, she was trapped behind bars in a holding cell in his castle. This was not a man to pity.

"Hello," the merman repeated, "I am Lysander, son of Phorcys, emperor of Murk, and this is Head of the Guard, Vex."

"Charmed, I'm sure," Cricket hissed, " you know, Emperor, your guard over their is rather rough, and rude to your guests. You shouldn't stand for that sort of thing. It leaves a bad impression."

"Do women where you come from always speak so boldly? What is your name?"

"I won't say another word, until the sponge brain leaves," Cricket answered coolly.

Vex lit up with rage at the Atlantican's comment. A hardened warrior such as himself, could never stand for such disrespect from an outsider, no less.

"Kill her," Vex barked, "get it over with now."

"No," Lysander's tone was final.

"Why not?" Vex pressed, clearly angry.

"She couldn't have come here alone, Vex. She's working with others. They need to be apprehended immediately. The girl is our information source."

"But..."

"Enough!" Lysander shouted, "now leave. I require time alone with the prisoner."

Lysander waved the warrior away, with a dismissive flick of his hand. Vex left, but grumbling to himself all the while. The emperor then returned his attention to the Atlantician girl, locked in the holding cell.

"What is your name?" he repeated.

Cricket contemplated not telling him, or at least giving him a false name, but for some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to lie to the Murken.

"Cricket, granddaughter of Triton, daughter of Attina, princess of Atlantica," she answered.

Lysander smirked, "You have strange names where you come from, Adelaide, Cricket..."

"I see," Cricket growled, "I suppose Lysander and Phorcys are much better names."

For the first time, Lysander grasped the bars that kept Cricket at bay, "They are strong Murken names, unlike yours. Cricket? How very foreign. Not to worry. I shall rename you. For now on, you shall be known as Crickēta. Much better, no?"

"No," sneered Cricket.

"How did you manage to get here, Crickēta?"

"Swam."

Lysander was surprised at the bluntness of her answer. It caught him off guard, for a moment.

"Who accompanied you?"

Rather than answering right away, Cricket stared deeply into the emperor's expressive eyes. She did not see an evil man behind those eyes. A confused boy, maybe, but not an evil man. He seemed so unsure of himself, so hurt by the world, and almost innocent. Cricket did in fact pity, this Lysander, and it nearly broke her heart to lie to him. The thought alone, unsettled the girl.

"I came alone."

Lysander chuckled, "Come now, Crickēta. You did not venture here alone. It seems more likely to me, that you came despite strict orders for you to remain safe in Atlantica. Princess's simply don't go off on hopeless rescue missions. How large is your grandfather's battalion?"

"He did not send a battalion," Cricket said bravely.

"Oh?" Lysander raised a dark eyebrow, "am I to believe he does not want his daughter back?"

"What did you do to Adelaide?" roared Cricket.

"Little Jira is safe for the time being," the emperor answered, "where are the others?"

"Jira? Please," Cricket pleaded, "just give Adelaide back to us. She's only a baby. She belongs with her family."

"I am family."

"What?" Cricket repeated in confusion, "how can that be?"

"Did I forget to mention, that I am Lysander, son of Phorcys, nephew of Tiamat."

"You did."

"My apologies, Crickēta, but it is true."

Cricket remained stunned, behind the bars of her prison. Something wasn't right here. There was a piece, a fragment of the puzzle missing, and it simply didn't make sense. She wasn't sure what it was, yet, but Cricket did know she didn't like it, not in the least.

"Is it true?" Cricket whispered, "do you plan to kill Adelaide, to bring Tiamat back from the dead?"

"That is correct."

"But why?" Cricket contorted her face in despair, "she was a horrible woman. Evil. Nearly destroyed my whole family, and our kingdom."

"I have my reasons," Lysander answered rather sourly.

Cricket grabbed the bars of her cell tightly in her fists, and pressed her face against the small space in between two bars.

"I don't understand why," she cried, "Tiamat will want the throne back."

"And there's the entire idea," an awful voice chimed it, "the throne should never have gone to a disgusting, little halfling in the first place."

Another Murken had entered the room, and Cricket shivered at the sight of him. This merman reminded her all to well of her late step grandmother, Tiamat. He was terribly ugly, with pasty skin, mud brown hair, that hung down the back of his neck, and shoulders, like dead eels, a blood red tail, and of course those deep set amber eyes. He truly did resemble a monster. His eyes, Cricket observed were different from Lysander's. Although they were the same color, there was nothing behind them, except malice, and jealously. It was almost as if, there was no soul behind his eyes, at all. Cricket stole a quick glance at Lysander, and she also noticed how the emperor's body language changed. Whoever this Murken was, Cricket could tell, that the emperor did not like him, even the slightest bit.

"Crickēta," Lysander began in a disdainful voice, "this is my cousin, Ladon."

Ladon casually swam up to the the bars of Cricket's cell, "an ugly little bugger," Ladon sneered, "you should have done away with her when you had the chance. I don't see why you must always rename the outsiders, Lysander. You waste good names on trash."

Cricket did not take kindly to being compared to garbage, so she retaliated, they only way she saw fit. She spit in Ladon's face. It was an excellent shot too, hitting the merman directly in the eye. Cricket also took note how the corners of Lysander's mouth stretched into a slight smile. Then Ladon, wiped his face clean, and turned angrily to Lysander.

"I want her dead, before the Blood Moon rises."

"Unfortunately for you, Ladon, _I_ am the emperor, and _I_ make any and all decisions regarding _my_ prisoner. Besides, we still require valuable information the girl possesses."

Ladon only narrowed his eyes and whirled back around in Cricket's direction, "Fine, but when she finally spills, I'll kill her myself."

"Get out," Lysander snarled at his cousin.

"I will not."

Meanwhile, Cricket drifted her gaze from one cousin to the other, watching their hostile exchange with great interest. Could this Murken be Tiamat's son? If that was true, then it would explain why he was so anxious to have Tiamat returned. Then again, that would make Adelaide his sister. Were Murken's truly so terrible, that they did not even care for their own flesh and blood? Why were the two cousins so hateful towards each other? Surely, Cricket had had her fair share of arguments with her cousins back in Atlantica, but she could never say that she hated a single one of them. They were family, after all. And what did Ladon mean when he called Lysander a halfling? Could that be the reason why Lysander didn't look like all the other Mukens? What was going on here, exactly. In any case, Cricket was determined to find out."

"I refuse to speak to anyone aside from the emperor himself," the mermaid said confidently.

Both Lysander and Ladon turned at the sound of Cricket's voice, as if they had forgotten she was even there. Ladon cocked his head, but it was Lysander who spoke.

"Leave now, Ladon," the emperor ordered, "so that I may have matters sorted out, by the rising of the blood moon."

Ladon glared, "Nothing had better get in the way of the ceremony, or you will regret it, dear coz."

"You need not worry about that, now go."

Ladon swam off, but the thickness of the hostility remained, lingering in the room. Cricket was left staring at Lysander in complete bafflement, but at the same time, interest. The mermaid had come to realize that Lysander was far from evil. The good news, was that the Murken could be easily swayed. She was going to crack this man if it killed her.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

A good place to end the chapter, I think!

Okay, so I got a new mouse. Maybe if you guys are good and review, there will be another chapter in if for you TONIGHT! Hmmm... It's all up to you!

So, what did you think of this chapter. Interesting, huh? Lysander is Tiamat's nephew, and Ladon is her son. Funny, how the Murkens think Lysander, as a halfling is ugly, but Cricket sure doesn't think so! I wonder what that's all about?

I would hold the hand of the one who could lead me places,

xJadeRainx


	59. Chapter 59: Strange Interrogation

Cricket had acquired some extremely valuable information while observing the seemingly meaningless exchange between the two cousins. Lysander was on the fence, and she believed that she could push the merman over to their side. In order to do this, however, Cricket was going to have to play the hand she was dealt exactly right. Luckily, for Cricket, Lysander was a boy, and all boys were exactly the same.

* * *

Lysander sighed, he had a terrible feeling that his sharp tongued prisoner, would be anything but cooperative.

"I'll ask you again," Lysander began, being sure to use a firm sounding voice, "where are the others you came with?"

"Your cousin, Ladon," the girl looked up at him, "is he Tiamat's son?"

"It's unspeakably rude to answer a question with another question, Crickēta," Lysander smiled, "now out with it. Where are your friends?"

"I will not answer any more or your questions until you answer _all_ of mine first."

"This amuses me," Lysander ran his fingers through his black hair, "you are my prisoner, Crickēta. Certainly, you are in no position to be making demands. So, just tell me where your friends are."

"Not until you answer my question first," the mermaid crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Suit yourself, Crickēta," Lysander reached his right hand through the bars, gently grasping the Atlantican's chin. She did not flinch at the contact, and it nearly threw Lysander for loop. Still he recovered, "I did not want to resort to this, another spell, but since you won't cooperate, I'll extract the information out of your head, myself."

_Jūsu domas kļūst manas domas._

Lysander finished his short chant, and waited for the magic to take effect. However, when a minute had passed, the emperor became terribly confused. The spell hadn't worked. He should have been reading the girl's thoughts by now. Instead, there was nothing. He looked into the Atlantican's blue eyes, and saw absolutely nothing. This should not be happening. Lysander would try the spell again.

_Jūsu domas kļūst manas domas._

Still nothing. Lysander's first instinct was to panic, but that would get him nowhere. The girl was somehow immune to his spell. This made no sense to him. Lysander had placed a much stronger spell on the very same mermaid in the past, and it had worked then. What was different about now?

"Was something supposed to happen just now?"

The sound of Crickēta's voice pulled the emperor out of his stupor. Lysander couldn't very well let on how jarred he actually was. The girl needed to believe that he was in complete control of the situation. He could not afford to show any signs of weakness at this vital time. Perhaps the power of suggestion, might help him now.

Lysander smiled at her, "I have made it so that you feel more compelled to answer me truthfully. Are we feeling more compliant, Crickēta?"

"No," the mermaid huffed, "and I won't say another word, unless you start answering my questions."

The emperor certainly did not have time for these childish games. The Blood Moon would be rising tonight. There was still much to be done before the ceremony, much to be prepared, and Lysander had promised Ceto that he would practice the cutting technique with her shortly. But what choice did Lysander have? He could not afford to have errant outsiders roaming about in Murken waters at the time of the ceremony. They could potentially compromise everything he had worked for.

Lysander again ran his fingers through his black hair, "In answer to your first question, yes, Ladon is Tiamat's son."

"I see," the mermaid pondered, "then why isn't he the emperor right now? Wouldn't the son of the empress be next in line for the throne?"

"It is a long story that you know nothing about."

"Well," Crickēta's looked about her surroundings, "it seems that I have time."

Lysander's head was pounding again. He was in no mood to waste time with irritating little girls. The emperor wanted this game over with immediately.

"Fine," he grumbled, "the Murken throne goes to the member of the royal family with the highest level of power. We'll start with my father Phorcys. He was the strongest Murken to have ever been born before..."

"Before what?" Crickēta questioned.

Lysander was not a stupid merman. He was originally going to say, before Jira came along, but he was not about to give the Atlanitcans even more ammunition to use against him. However, Lysander still needed to answer the girl's question, if he had any hope of ending their silly meeting, and locating her friends.

"Before he died," the emperor said plainly.

"I'm sorry."

Crickēta looked genuinely sympathetic toward him, which confused Lysander to no end. He cocked his head in his bewilderment.

"Don't be," Lysander said, "he was an awful man."

"What happened to him?"

Why was Crickēta asking all these personal questions? He had anticipated the girl asking questions about Jira, and the ritual, not all this.

"Tiamat killed him. She wanted the throne," Lysander answered.

"That's awful!" the mermaid gasped.

"No, Crickēta," Lysander began, "that is the way things happen in Murk."

"So it's acceptable to murder the emperor to usurp the throne, s long as you are strong enough to get away with it?"

"It is."

"Well, I don't like it," Crickēta huffed, grasping the bars of her holding cell, "but I still have more questions."

"And I suppose that I have no other choice than to listen to them?"

"That's right," the girl smiled at him.

Lysander could not understand how the Atlantican was smiling. The girl was locked away, behind bars for over an hour now, and she was still smiling. Atlantican's were strange beings. Crickēta was a strange being.

"Why don't you look like the other Murkens, Lysander, and what is a halfling?"

The emperor's body became rigid at her words. Somehow or other the questions shocked him. He himself had never spoke the answers out loud. There was absolutely no way he was going to answer Crickēta's question. Not this one. But then, his lips began to move, directly disobeying the order sent by his brain.

"My mother... she was not a Murken."

"Was?" Crickēta pressed, "is she dead too?"

"Quite possibly," Lysander paused, "I never knew her."

"You never knew your own mother," the girl sounded horrified, "that's so sad."

"It is not that sad. You cannot miss what you never had."

Lysander had not realized just how close his face was to Crickēta's while they were speaking. He couldn't even remember getting that close to the bars in the first place. The emperor stared at the girl's blue eyes for a moment. There was an emotion in them, that he had never seen before. He couldn't quite place it. Was it compassion? Perhaps. Pity? That too, seemed likely. Then the emperor recognized a familiar flick in the mermaid's eyes. Lysander knew that emotion. Mischief. What was Crickēta planning in that devious little mind of hers. Perhaps it was...

Crickēta had kissed him. Lysander blinked for a split second, and then recoiled at lightning speed. The room around him began to spin, and his head ached even more. What had just happened? How had he lost control over the situation? Why had Crickēta done something like that? Whatever her reasons, Lysander could not let the girl see how truly flustered he felt. The emperor needed to get out of the room for a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Crickēta," he whispered, "I am going to leave you alone for some time, to think. Perhaps when I return, you will be more willing to talk. Believe me, it is in your best interest."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Ah, a glimpse into Lysander's head...

What was Cricket thinking.

Oh, And I'm going to tell you this now, because you probably don't remember. But way back when the mermaid Charisse gave Merrick a necklace of a miniature conch shell to wear, she said it would protect the wearer from harm. Remember, Cricket took it from him, and now she's wearing it? Well she is, and that's why Lysander's spell did not affect her.

Also, what do you think of the name Crickēta. I made it up myself!

Poor, confused Lysander.

As aslways, review for me. Please?

It's tearing up my heart when I'm with you,

xJadeRainx


	60. Chapter 60: Halflings

Cricket indeed was left alone with only her thoughts to keep her company. She was breaking ground with Lysander, before she had ruined everything. Cricket didn't even know what possessed her to kiss the Murken, well, half Murken, in the first place. Lysander just seemed so despondent when he was speaking about the possibly dead mother he never knew. The mermaid pressed her head against the bars of her prison. Why _did _she kiss him? And yet, even more interestingly, why did Lysander react the way he had? The merman had come off hard, and so in control, but after the kiss, he transformed into flustered little boy. It was almost as if he had never kissed a girl before, but given how handsome Lysander really was, Cricket doubted that was the case. Wait. Why was Cricket thinking of the Emperor of Murk in that way? She was using him as a tool to get what she wanted, Adelaide. That was it. Nothing more. Cricket began drumming her fingers against the bar.

"What to do, what to do?" the mermaid sighed to herself.

She wasn't going to answer any of the emperor's questions upon his return, of that much, she was certain. Besides, she didn't know where Hali, Merrick and the others were, at the moment. So, Cricket couldn't give the man the information he wanted, even if she wanted to.

Cricket sank to the bottom of her cell, and began to sing dismally, "Nobody knows the troubles I've seen, nobody knows my...."

The girl abruptly ended her singing, when she caught sight of a graceful bubble slowly drifting ever towards her. It was a Tide Tiding. She knew that much. Soon enough, the bubble was within Cricket's reach. The Tide Tiding was chanting to her, taunting her with its song. Cricket could resist the bubble no longer, and she popped it with a long, slender finger.

"Cricket, we're in the castle. Tell us what you can see. Maybe we can figure out where you're being held," the bubble spoke in Hali's voice.

Cricket threw her hand to her mouth. She had forgotten that she had sent the others a Tide Tiding earlier, in hopes of being rescued. Now, however, the mermaid did not want to be rescued, at all. What she wanted was to gain Lysander's trust, and have him surrender Adelaide willingly. A couple of hot heads, like Hali and Merrick would surely sink her plans like a ship caught in a deadly storm. This could become a problem.

"Okay Cricket," the girl cradled her pretty face in her hands, "it's time for damage control."

It was worth a try. Cricket extended her pointer finger, where a small bubble began to form at the tip. For the second time today, she brought the bubble to her lips, and spoke into the bubble, "Don't come looking for me. I've escaped. Looking for Adelaide. Bye."

Then, she released the bubble, and the Tide Tiding began its journey to deliver the message it was carrying.

* * *

What Lysander desired more than anything, was to return to his bedchambers, and rest. His head was aching, and he was still shaken from the stunt, Crickēta had only pulled with him. Why_ did_ she do that? Was she mocking him? Probably. His own people found no difficulty mocking him, so why not an outsider? Lysander sighed. Although his body craved some much deserve, and needed rest, he could return to his quarters. It was far to early in the day, the tide dial had not even struck noon yet. If he were to return to bed now, his people would talk. They already despised him for being a halfling. The emperor couldn't have his subjects thinking that he was lazy as well.

So, Lysander resolved to meet Ceto at the temple. He still needed to practice his cutting technique. He shuddered at the image of the Serriform Star forming in his mind's eye. How could he use that awful thing to slice into Ceto's skin. He wanted to be with the priestess, not harm her. Worse, the thought of using the instrument on little Jira nearly made the emperor want to cry. Lysander stopped swimming a moment, to massage his temples. Murkens never cry. What was wrong with him lately? Lysander would go to see a healer soon.

Yes, he would go to the temple, but first, it was Lysander's intention to check on Jira. The least he could do was be sure the child was comfortable before... well, before the Blood Moon ceremony. Lysander expertly turned the watery corridors leading to Jira's nursery. He would make the visit short, after all, Ceto was waiting for him. Finally, Lysander was directly outside the door of Jira's nursery. He effortlessly swung open the door, only to find Jira in the arms of his _favorite_ cousin, Ladon. Almost instantly, the emperor felt hot rage, wave throughout his body. His body temperature must have risen so high, that when combined with the icy waters of Murk, steam began to rise from Lysander's arms and chest.

"What are you doing with her?" Lysander snapped.

"I only hold my dear little... sister," Ladon replied, although his lip curled upwards in disgust.

Lysander rushed towards his cousin, snatching Jira away, and cradling her to his chest.

"You better not have hurt her, Ladon," the emperor warned, looking down into Jira's innocent face, her violet eyes, roaming about the room in curiosity.

"And why do you care so deeply?" Ladon asked with suspicion in his voice.

"I," Lysander hesitated, "it is because the child needs to be in perfect health, for the Blood Moon ritual tonight."

Upon finishing his sentence, Lysander felt his blood run cold, and his skin crawl. His body's strange behavior, was really driving Lysander to feel concerned. Had he been stricken with some fatal disease?

"I see," Ladon stroked his chin, "well, fear not. The child is fine."

"Haven't you something to do?" Lysander snarled at his cousin.

"I find it humorous that you question how I spend my time, when you came here for no other reason than to coddle that little brat like a pet sea spider. Your _feelings_ had better not interfere with you duty, particularly at the ritual tonight. "

"Feelings?" Lysander echoed, "I have no feelings for the child she's a... a... she's only a sacrifice."

The emperor was suddenly hit with a sharp, jabbing pain in his abdomen. Lately, his body had been fighting a war with Lysander, every step of the way, and he believed he was slowly loosing the battle.

"Hmmm," Ladon mused, placing a finger to his lips, "the way you are embracing the child so closely to your heart, well, you can understand how one might get a different impression. However, I cannot blame you for feeling connected to the little brat."

"Connected?" Lysander repeated confounded, "Ladon what are you getting at?"

"Since you are both _halflings_, surely you must feel some, how should I say, responsibility for her?"

Lysander only glared murderously at his cousin.

Ladon shook his head in mock concern, "Ceto came to me expressing a concern she had regarding you and the sacrifice."

"Did she, now?"

"Yes," Ladon continued, "and I must say, Lysander, it was really quite disturbing to hear how you intend to keep the child alive, should her fever continue past the rising of the Blood Moon. I mean, do you wish to see this kingdom brought to its knees?"

"That is no longer an issue. Jira's fever has broken. The Blood Moon rises tonight. The ritual continues on as planed."

"Jira? Jira, Jira, Jira!" Ladon cried angrily, "you should have never named the sacrifice. And to give a halfling a _Murken_ name? It's a disgrace, Lysander. Why Phorcys wasted such a name on you..."

"Hold your tongue," hissed the emperor.

"Tell me," Ladon swam crossly up to Lysander, "why would you even entertain such a thought? Keeping the child alive? The brat does not belong here."

"If the Blood Moon ceremony proved unsuccessful, someone needs to succeed the throne after me. It cannot be you, Ladon. You have no magic. Not even a trace."

* * *

Ladon's eyes lit up with acrid hate, immediately following Lysander's words. He hated his cousin, but even more he hated the fact that the Ancients had forgotten him. Even the halfling, Lysander had power, a lot of it. Ladon made a sudden movement, as if he were going to punch the filthy halfling directly in his ugly nose. And indeed, that was Ladon's every intention.

* * *

Lysander was well aware of his cousin's looming fist. Really, Ladon must be of slow wit to even attempt to hit the emperor. He pulled Jira closer to his body, to keep her safe and out of the way. Then, he began his chant.

_Sajust sāpes_ _manas dusmas._

As soon as Lysander finished his spell, his cousin crumpled to the floor of the nursery in a ball of agony. As Lysander listened to the painful screams emitted by Ladon, his heart pounded. He felt strangely exhilarated. The emperor had only performed this spell on the likes of Mar and Vex before, and only for a short while. This was not a killing spell; it only produced a mass amount of pain for the victim, enough to make the unfortunate soul to wish he were dead. Of course, Lysander had no intention of removing his spell on Ladon anytime soon.

"Lysander!"

Ceto's horrified screech snapped the emperor from his reverie. Ladon was still flopping around on the floor, wrapped in his own personal torment, and Ceto was screaming for him to release Ladon from the spell. Lysander couldn't have Ceto thinking that he was some sort of brute. He needed the priestess to see his point of view. Ladon deserved as much, for the disrespectful way he treated his emperor. Keeping Jira safely tucked under one arm, he gingerly grabbed Ceto by the wrist, and she grimaced at his touch. Lysander's heart sunk deep within his chest. Why was Ceto so disgusted by him? Then he remember the Atlantican girl. Crickēta hadn't flinched when Lysander brushed her chin with his fingers. Crickēta. He felt his thought rise slightly, at the thought of her name alone. Poor Lysander was perplexed beyond all measure. What was going on with him?

"Ceto," Lysander whispered weakly.

"Just release Ladon from the spell," the priestess interjected hurriedly.

Lysander's heart sunk again, as his head pounded, and his stomach lurched. This was not something he desired to deal with at the moment.

"No," the emperor snapped, "you are a priestess, Ceto. You heal him."

Without so much as another word, Lysander swam out of the Nursery, with Jira still cradled in his arms. The emperor didn't even know where he was headed. All he wanted, was to get away.


	61. Chapter 61: Lights Out

"Don't come searching for me. I've escaped. Looking for Adelaide. Bye."

When Hali popped the bubble, she hadn't expected it to relay that particular message at all. The group remained in stunned silence for a short while, before Merrick spoke out.

"Cricket escaped?"

"No," Hali shook her head, "I don't think that's the case, not for a minute."

"But why would she say something like that?" Xavier asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, how can you know that she didn't escape," Merrick continued, "perhaps she did. What would be her purpose of remaining locked up behind bars?"

"Cricket is still their prisoner," Hali maintained, "she's a good liar, I'll give her that much, but she forgot that I'm an expert."

"But why..."

"She's planning something, Merrick."

Merrick brought his hand to the side of his head, "On her own? Cricket is too rash. She'll do something..."

"Stupid?" suggested Serene.

"Well, I was going to was dangerous..."

"What are we going to do about it?" Xavier wondered.

"We've got to get into the castle, now," answered Hali, "we'll use the entrance you spotted."

Xavier wasn't sure that was a good idea. They had all watched the entrance for quite some time now, and not a living soul had gone in or out. The fact stuck Xavier as odd, and he had a terrible feeling. Maybe it was best if they found another way.

"Hali," Xavier began, "perhaps we should..."

Only Xavier wasn't quick enough, for Hali made a swim for it, heading directly towards the entrance. She needed to swim fast. Murken guards were swarming the waters, and if she were to move any slower, she would have been easily spotted. Xavier surely couldn't allow his fiancée to swim into the Murken palace, facing danger alone. He needed to follow.

"Come on," he directed towards Merrick, following Hali's trail of air bubbles.

And so, Merrick, with Serene tucked in his arms, swam off in pursuit of his cousin, and the walrus, penguin, and crab followed.

* * *

Lysander rested his head, against the door to the dungeon. He still held little Jira tightly in his arms, who was happily squealing away, making funny little noises. The emperor sighed. His head was aching as much as it ever had, his latest encounter with Ladon had been the culprit. And then Ceto... Something drove him to the dungeon. Lysander had swam all the way there, in a sort of half daze. Now, he hovered just outside the door to where the Atlantican prisoner was being held, and he was reluctant to go in. Crickēta frightened him, but intrigued him at the same time. Ceto... Lysander had known her all his life, and still, his sheer existence seemed to cause the priestess great distress. For as long as Lysander could remember, everyone around him had shrunk away from his touch, as if he were infected with some horrible disease. Imagine a lifetime, with no physical contact from anyone, and pair it with the constant insults, and reminders of him being no more than a worthless halfling. That was the root of Lysander's depression. Why had Phorcys kept him? His father could have easily ordered Lysander, the halfling, to be killed at birth. There were times, when the emperor wished that had been the case.

Then there was Crickēta, his prisoner, the enemy. It was the Atlantican's who had forced the Murkens into the coldest, darkest corner of the ocean, to live apart from all the other merfolk in the sea. The Atlanticans had disgraced Murk generations ago. Tiamat was just on the cusp of returning Murk to its former glory before she was killed. Killed, by one of Crickēta's kind. And Lysander had the power to return Tiamat to his people. He had the power to restore glory to Murk. Despite all this, the thought of killing Jira disturbed the emperor greatly, and for one inexplicable reason or another, he could not get the prisoner off his mind. Lysander drew in one last, deep breath, and pushed open the door.

* * *

The entrance that was cut into the side of the Murken palace, was more like a cave than anything else. The room Hali and the other were currently in, was huge and in a circular shape. Connected to the circular room, was two long, dark corridors.

"Which one should we take?" Merrick asked.

"The one on the right," Hali explained, "every time we come to a turn, we'll take the one on the right. That way, we know that we only need to make lefts on our way out."

"That's pretty smart, Hali," Serene said admiringly.

"Thanks, Serene," Hali smiled and ruffled the girl's blond hair, "put her down Merrick. Let her swim with her own fins."

Merrick released the mergirl, and Serene did somersaults in the water, happy to be free again.

"Let's go then," Hali called to her group, as she lead the way through the corridor on the right.

The corridor was dreadfully dark, not a single one of them could see an inch past their noses. But it was only darkness, nothing that Hali couldn't rectify with a simple spell. The Guardian rummaged through her knapsack for her spell book.

_святла_

As Hali spoke the words of the spell, the entire corridor was filled with a radiant light source. They continued down the length of the corridor. Again, when the group came to a choice between two corridors, they took the right turn. At the end of the corridor, the Guardian and the others found themselves in another circular patterned room. Sitting directly in the middle of the room was one of those horrible, gigantic sea spiders. Serene began screaming immediately at the sight of the creature, and Sebastian's knobby legs began to clank together. Apparently, the sudden burst of intense light, and the irritating sound of Serene's shrieks did not bode well with the creature. As it started towards the intruders at an alarming speed. Hali remembered her last encounter with one of those things, and it wasn't a pleasant one. The abominable thing nearly killed her and Sebastian.

The sea spider, effortlessly closed the gap between itself and its victims. It swiped one of it gigantic legs, which Hali remembered was razor sharp, at the bothersome intruders. The guardian knew she needed to protect herself and the others from the monster's attack, however she had no time to peruse through her book for a spell. Hali spat out the first words that came to mind.

_Шчыт_

The group was encased in a dome of light, and the sea spider tapped against the magic shield, in an attempt to break through. Serene was still screaming, Sebastian was still shaking, Dash had began to whimper, and Tip was trying to get at the spider, a chance to prove his valor. All the commotion was begging to unnerve Hali so much that she could barely think. But it seemed the Guardian didn't have to. The light spell Hali had preformed had just worn out, and Hali definitely heard something large swim overhead. She couldn't see what it was, but she didn't need to see it, in order to tell it was big. The sea spider was still tapping away at the shield Hali had summoned, when suddenly, there was a monstrous squeal, and the tapping stopped all together.

"What's going on?" Xavier whispered next to her.

Before Hali could answer, they all heard a loud crunch.

"What was that?" Serene whimpered.

"I think," Hali began, "something just ate that sea spider."

"What?" Merrick questioned in disbelief, "any creature that could be capable of that must be a behemoth."

Then, the shield protecting the Guardian and her friends, shattered all together.


	62. Chapter 62: Tortured Soul

It took Ceto nearly half an hour, but finally, she was able to release Ladon from the tortuous spell. Lysander wasn't quick to anger, that much Ceto knew, but when he was heated enough, he cast spells with full force. And with a power like Lysander's, well, his spells weren't easily undone. Ladon truly must have overstepped his bounds, to enrage Lysander so.

"What did you say to him?" Ceto demanded.

Ladon was still lying on the nursery floor, panting from his ordeal, " I only told him the truth. He's a halfling, all of Murk despised him, and he isn't fit to be emperor."

"True," the priestess conceded, "but you shouldn't have said such things. You have no means of defense, Ladon."

The merman rose, immediately and shot Ceto a murderous glare.

Ceto shook her head, "He _is_ trying. He readily agreed to the Blood Moon ritual, when I first brought up the subject, and he lead the expedition to kidnap the sacrifice, himself. Lysander will return Tiamat to Murk."

"He will not," Ladon disagreed.

"What do you mean?"

"Lysander will desert the ritual. Do you not see how protective he is over the child? He even named the little brat!"

"Lysander has always been odd. He'd give names to the slaves, even as a child, but that doesn't mean..."

"It means exactly that, Ceto. Lysander loves that loathsome, halfing brat. He would never harm her, He admitted as much to you, before."

"No, he only said that if the Blood Moon passed..."

"Ceto!" Ladon cried, "open your eyes. Lysander will turn his back on this kingdom."

"You are wrong, Ladon."

Ladon glowered down at the priestess, "You speak as if you have feeling for the _halfling_. Is that true, Ceto?"

"No," Ceto said indignantly, "of course not, but..."

"Do you believe the throne should go to _him_?"

"no."

"Because?" Ladon pressed.

"Because he is an outsider to Murk, but if your suspicions are correct, and he abandons the ceremony... what would we do, without Tiamat?"

"Whoever said we need Tiamat, anyway," Ladon sneered.

* * *

Lysander entered the room to the dungeon, with Jira tightly secured in his arms. Crickēta immediately squealed at the sight of the child, and stretched her arms through the openings between the bars.

"Adelaide!" she cried, "let me hold her."

"No," Lysander stated firmly, "I have brought her here, so that you may see she is safe. That is enough."

"Safe," Crickēta let out a husky laugh, "for how much longer?"

"Until the moon rises tonight," the emperor answered, "then she dies at the Blood Moon ceremony."

Lysander's stomach again churned at the end of his words.

"How very comforting."

"Crickēta," Lysander sighed, "I have no desire to hurt you or your friends. I only need to ensure that they will not interrupt the ritual, and when the ceremony is over, you may all leave with your lives."

Crickēta snorted.

"What is wrong now?"

"See if you can clarify this for me," the mermaid began, "when the... Blood Moon rises, you are going to slit Adelaide's..."

"She is called Jira," Lysander corrected.

"When the Blood Moon rises, you intend to slit _Adelaide's_ throat, and after the ritual is over, Tiamat will return from the dead?"

"That is correct."

"I see," Crickēta continued, "and do you honestly believe Tiamat will let my friends and I swim on our merry little way? She'll murder us!"

Lysander felt his cheeks flush. He hadn't considered the possibility. He might have thought of it, had his head not been hurting so furiously. The loss of Jira would be hard enough to deal with, and to have more innocent lives lost on the same night... Lysander gazed into Crickēta's blue eyes. The mere thought of seeing those eyes lifeless, was enough to make Lysander want to cry. But, Murkens never cry. Really, what was happening to his body lately?

"Has anyone brought you something to eat?" the emperor asked politely.

"No."

Lysander snapped his fingers, and a haggard looking merman appeared at his side, almost instantly.

"Yes, My Emperor?"

"Eldon, the prisoner is hungry. Bring her some food."

With that, the old merman sped off, without a second thought, but to please his master.

"How did you do that?" Crickēta asked.

"Do what?"

"Snap your fingers so that your servant would come. How did he even hear you?"

"Oh, that," Lysander began absentmindedly, "Eldon is my slave. His soul is linked to mine. If I need him, he comes. That is all."

"You have slaves?" Crickēta sounded disgusted.

"Of course," the emperor shrugged, "I have always assumed that my own mother was a slave Phorcys had raped."

"Do you always call your father by his first name?" Crickēta wondered.

"We do not use those words, father, mother, aunt, uncle, they way you do. They are useless. We say, 'I am Lysander, son of Phorcys,' or if my father were still alive, I might say, 'Phorcys, how was your day?' and Phorcys would reply, 'Nothing a halfling need concern himself with.'"

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard," Crickēta whispered.

"One becomes numb, over the years," Lysander explained.

Why was he telling his prisoner such things, against his better judgment? Lysander never spoke about his feeling like this, and to an outsider no less. No matter, how many times his brain ordered his lips to remain steadfast, they disobeyed him, and began spilling out words. Crickēta... something about this girl made Lysander want to speak.

"That pendant you wear around you neck," Crickēta began changing the subject, "does it symbolize anything?"

The emperor looked down at his chest, at the small pendent he wore, always. It was in the shape of a silver sea dragon, with a long ribbony body, a blue gemstone acted as the creature's eye. Lysander became lost in thought for a moment, before answering Crickēta's abrupt question.

"Does it symbolize anything?" Lysander repeated softly, "that I cannot tell you, for I do not know. However, Phorcys claimed it belonged to my mother, and so I wear it."

The emperor again glanced up at the mermaid's blue eyes. Crickēta seemed so full of sorrow. Sorrow for him? Lysander couldn't understand why, but he wanted to. Rather, he needed to uncover the reason for Crickēta's apparent pity over him. The emperor swam closer to the Atlantican's cell, all the while, never breaking contact with Crickēta's expressive, blue eyes. They were lovely eyes. The girl herself was lovely; it made the emperor's heart pound, a nice break from his pounding head. No. Lysander could not allow himself to think in such a way. Crickēta was his enemy, an Atlantican. But Crickēta's lips looked so pink, he could scarcely resist them. Lysander could feel his face being drawn closer to that of Crickēta's. He couldn't stop himself, and Lysander noticed that she wasn't resisting, nor did she appear disgusted by the thought of him. Finally, after a lifetime.

"A-hem."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hello, folks!

Here's an update, although you are all probably rather ticked with me. Last chapter left off at a cliff hanger, and now this one too! I guess that's the power that an author possesses...

Do not fear, however, you will find out what happened to Hali and the others next chapter!

It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to,

xJadeRainx


	63. Chapter 63: Plotting

Almost immediately after Ceto had entered the room, Crickēta slapped Lysander hard on his cheek.

"That's for murdering my identical twin sister the night of the abduction!" the mermaid shouted.

Lysander's head began to spin again. The room was whirling about at an alarming speed. Had Ceto seen what almost had occurred between himself and Crickēta? What in Ancient's Cause was Crickēta talking about the murder of an identical twin sister? Lysander hadn't killed anyone that night. The emperor then realized that Crickēta was lying for him? Why? None of this was making any sense, and was only causing his head to ache even more intensely. Little Jira was struggling to find her way out of Lysander's hold, so he released the child, and she began to swim around the room, propelling herself with her tiny salmon colored tail.

"She's swimming!" Crickēta exclaimed, mostly to herself, "I can't believe that she's swimming, and we all missed her first strokes."

Crickēta sounded heartbroken that she had missed Jira's first swim, which greatly deflated the emperor's spirits. Strangely, the thought of Crickēta being upset was more than Lysander could bear.

"What are you doing here, Ceto?" Lysander asked, with two fingers against his temple.

"When I noticed the sacrifice was missing..."

"Her name is Adelaide!" Crickēta interjected with fury.

Ceto arched an eyebrow, but returned her attention to Lysander, "when I noticed the sacrifice was missing, I panicked. Why would you take the sacrifice from the nursery and bring her here?"

"I have my reasons," sighed Lysander.

"You should not have done that," Ceto's voice was grave.

"He had no other choice," Crickēta chimed in.

Oh, how Lysander wished the girl would remain quiet. If not for her own good, then for his piece of mind.

"It was irresponsible, Lysander," the priestess hissed.

Every word that Ceto directed towards Lysander was a criticism. Always. That was all he had ever heard from the priestess. But Crickēta... she was different. Why?

"I coerced your emperor to bring Adelaide to me," Crickēta began fiercely, "I refused to speak a word until I saw the child for myself."

"Really?" Ceto glared, "why couldn't you simply extract the information from her, yourself?"

"I tried that," Lysander admitted, "but..."

"But what?"

"Crickēta appears to be immune."

Ceto's jaw began to tremble with anger, "you renamed the prisoner? What an oafish..."

"Silence," the emperor warned.

The priestess drew in a calming breath, "what do you mean she appears to be immune?"

"My spells have no effect on Crickēta whatsoever," Lysander explained with composure.

"Then let me have a go," Ceto hissed.

"If you even try to harm her, Ceto, you will regret it."

The priestess was visibly stunned, "Kill her, Lysander she's useless to us."

"Hello," Crickēta called. "I'm still in the room."

"I'll deal with my prisoner as I see fit," the emperor said with finality.

"But, Lysander..."

"Please leave, Ceto."

"Lysander!"

"Please leave."

The priestess swallowed her pride and swam out of the dungeon in as dark a mood as ever.

* * *

Hali and the others were still surrounded by darkness. What they couldn't see, they could hear, and they definitely could hear something large disturbing the water above their heads.

"I'm going to cast another light spell," Hali announced to her group.

"No," Serene whimpered, "it we can't see it, then it can't see us."

"I'm afraid it doesn't always work like that, Serene," Hali explained, her heard pounding within her chest. The light spell would expose whatever this sea spider devouring creature was, and she wasn't thrilled about that. Hali wished the child's logic was correct. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

_святла_

The sudden burst of light seemed to startle the huge creature, and it shot upwards towards the ceiling in a cloud of blackish ink.

"A squid?" Xavier questioned, "are they really that dangerous?"

"That is no squid, you idiot," Merrick snapped.

"Then what is it?" growled Xavier.

"A kraken," Hali's voice was that of a whisper.

* * *

Ceto swam angrily through the water filled corridors of the Murken palace. Lysander was acting stranger than usual. Renaming the prisoner? Really? What had gotten into him? Lysander was behaving like a fool, and she didn't trust him. Not anymore, at least. The priestess stopped swimming when she encountered a slave carrying a tray of food.

"You, slave, come here," Ceto ordered of the old merman.

"Yes, Priestess?"

"Have you seen Ladon?"

" I believe he is in the study, Priestess."

"The Emperor's study?" Ceto inquired.

"Yes Priestess," the slave bowed his head, "is there anything else?"

"No," Ceto dismissed him, "get back to your work."

"As you wish," the slave murmured, before swimming off.

Ceto was curious to know why Ladon was held up in Lysander's study, but there was only one way to find out. She too, was going to the study. The priestess quickly darted through the corridors, not even bothering to glance at the slaves who greeted her as she swam past. Finally, Ceto was just outside the door of the study. Normally, she would knock before entering, but seeing as it was only Ladon behind the door, she opened it without hesitation. Ladon was seated at the emperor's desk, pouring over a book. The Murken looked up, when he heard Ceto approach him.

"I believe you, Ladon?"

"You believe me?" Ladon began irritated, "Ceto, how sweet."

"I am sorry," Ceto apologized.

"Why did you ever doubt me?"

"I never thought that Lysander would break his word, and abandon the Blood Moon ceremony, until now."

"And why is that?"

"He renamed the prisoner."

"Shocking," Ladon widened his eyes sarcastically.

"When I entered the dungeon, it looked as if Lysander were going to kiss her."

"Well that isn't good news, is it?" Ladon narrowed his eyes.

"And you should have seen how protective he was over her, an Atlantican!"

"Tell me, Ceto, why does this upset you so? If I didn't know better, I'd say you have feelings for the halfling."

"That is not true!" the priestess cried.

"I should hope not," Ladon hissed, "you are promised to me."

"And I belong to only you."

"Good," Ladon closed the book he had been reading.

"We can no longer count on Lysander."

"This is true," acknowledged Ladon.

"He is slowly deteriorating this kingdom, and without Tiamat... Ladon what are we to do, now?"

"Forget Tiamat," Ladon said dismissively, "I will be Emperor now."

"But Ladon," the priestess tried to reason, "you haven't got any magic."

"I have told you never to say that!" Ladon roared.

"But it's the truth," Ceto breathed.

"Not for much longer."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Ceto, my dear, I have a plan," Ladon began with a wicked smile, holding up the book, "and it's all right here."

Ceto read its title: Noslēpumi Asinis Mēness. Secrets of the Blood Moon.


	64. Chapter 64: Dishcover the Riddle

"Okay," Hali whispered, trying to remain calm, "let's try not to panic, everyone."

"Yeah," Serene agreed through whimpered, "maybe it isn't hungry after eating that giant sea spider."

But Hali knew that Krakens were always hungry, always. The monster was still currently biding it's time at the ceiling, the thick cloud of black ink it had excreted, was beginning to wear thin now, and it's huge, tentacled form, was becoming more apparent by the moment.

"We'll find a way out of this," The Guardian assured her friends.

'Wrong,' Hali did not recognize the voice, so she assumed it belonged to the Kraken.

The guardian immediately looked to the others in her group. None, of them had reacted to the creature's remark. This meant that as the Ocean's Heart, Hali was the only one who could hear the Kraken's thoughts, just as she had been the only one who could communicate with Hachi and Kailani, a year ago.

"Don't panic," Hali repeated.

"Dat's easy for ya to say, mon," Sebastian's voice cracked, "ya don' come in bite sized."

Without warning, the light spell Hali had cast, again wore out, and the entire room was plunged in darkness. Since the Guardian now knew, what kind of monster they were, facing, she had no other choice but to cast the spell again, immediately.

Cвятла

When the intense light, flooded the dark room once more, Hali and the group found themselves face to face with the gigantic kracken. It began to circle it's prey, twisting and winding it's long, fleshy tentacles in a menacing fashion.

'I think I'll start with the crab,' the kraken snapped it's sharp beak, 'it's been ages since I had crab legs.'

"Touch any of my friends," Hali warned the beast, "and you won't live to eat another meal."

'She speaks,' the Kraken began in confusion, 'never in all my centuries. Why, she must be the Ocean's Heart! What an honor. What is your name child?'

Hali was taken aback. She didn't trust the monster, that much was certain. Of all the stories she knew about Krakens, the Guardian never once heard thay they were friendly, polite creatures. The kraken was probably biding it's time, looking for an ideal opportunity to strike. Hali shifted her gaze to the spell book, held tightly in her hands. There had to be some spell she could cast, to get them out of this prickly situation, but she had to be careful. Rushing headlong into things, is what for her group in this sort of trouble in the first place. It was best to play along with the kraken for the time being, and answer its questions.

"I am Hali, granddaughter of Triton, daughter of Ariel, princess of Shireland."

"Hali?" Xavier voiced his concern.

"Hush," his fiancée shushed.

'Shireland,' the kraken mused, 'I can't say I've heard of that. What sea is it in. The Mediterranean? The Adriatic?'

'You wouldn't have heard of it, Kraken," Hali explained, 'Shireland in on land."

'Please, call me Ketea,' the kraken soothed, 'so, you claim to come from land? Then surely, you must be a child of both sea and shore.'

The kraken began poking at Hali with once of its massive tentacles.

"I am."

'Why,' the kraken cackled, 'I never thought I'd live to see the day.'

"Please Ketea," Hali begged, "we have no time to waste here. Please, just let us leave."

'Granddaughter of Triton, you say?' the kraken continued, 'Triton, Triton, now where have I heard that name?'

"Please," Hali begged again.

"Hali, what's happening?" Merrick asked.

"I'm communicating with the kraken..."

The monster let out an aggravated hiss, and Hali corrected, "I'm communicating with Ketea, now be quiet."

'Now where was I before I was so rudely interrupted by your friend? Ah, yes, Triton. I remember that name now. Triton is the ruler of Atlantica, isn't he?'

"He is."

'Hm,' Ketea began twisting her tentacles again, 'then what brings you hear to Murk? Haven't the Atlantican's done enough harm to Murk, or is it more war they are after?'

"What?" Hali questioned in confusion, "Ketea, I don't know what you are referring to, but the Murkens, they kidnapped one of our own, and are holding another prisoner. We only want them returned to us safely. Please let us pass. We need to find our way into the Murken castle."

'I'm afraid I can't do that, my dear," the kraken explained, 'I am bound to the Murken royal line. Threats must be eliminated. So sorry.'

Hali had hoped to settle things with the kraken amiably. One for Serene's sake, because Hali couldn't bear the thought of exposing the child to death, at her young age, and two, because a kraken could prove to be a very useful ally. However, it didn't appear that Ketea was ready to switch sides anytime soon. The Guardian prepared her spell book, just in case the kraken decided to attack, unexpectedly.

'Of course, I might be willing to let you pass, for a game. It's dreadfully boring here, you might imagine.'

"A game?" Hali did not like the sound of this, at all.

'Yes, a game, a riddle,' the kraken said gleefully, 'however we'd have to place a wager of course."

"Hali," Xavier began sternly, "talk to us. What's going on right now?"

"Are you guys feeling up to a game?"

"A game?" Merrick repeated, "Honestly, Hali this is no time for jokes..."

"I like games," Serene added.

"Hush, Serene," the adults all chastised together.

"Ce me fait chier," the girl mumbled.

Hali continued, "the kraken..."

There was another terrible hiss coming form the monster's direction.

"I mean, Ketea," Hali corrected herself nervously, "claimed that if we answer a riddle correctly, she'll let us go safely."

'But we haven't discussed the wager. Aren't you curious what that might be, child?'

"What is it, Ketea?" Hali inquired impatiently.

'If you answer correctly, one answer is all you get, but if you answer correctly, then you may pass, if your answer is wrong however, you all forfeit your lives.'

"I'll talk it over with my friends," Hali couldn't believe she was playing along with the kraken. She could probably take it out, but she didn't want to alert Ketea to her spell book, not yet, anyway.

'You have five minutes to decide, dear," the kraken warned, 'I'm feeling rather peckish.'

Hali gathered her group into a tight circle, and whispered, "Okay, if we loose this bet, the kraken is going to eat us."

Serene squealed, but was quickly silenced again, by the others in the group.

"What about your spell book, Hali?" Merrick asked, "couldn't you just..."

"Keep your voice down, Merrick," Hali chided, "I'm trying to keep that fact a surprise, kind of like a secret weapon."

"That's the worst idea I've ever heard," Merrick growled.

"Actually, it's really quite intelligent," Xavier defended, and he believed it too.

'Three minutes, my dear,' Ketea laughed.

"If we answer the riddle and win," The Guardian started, "then there's no harm done, right? If we loose, then we still have my spell book as a back up protection. What do you think?"

"I think we should take the bet," Tip chimed in, "as an adventurer slash explorer, it's my duty."

"I agree with Tip," Xavier added.

"Really?" Hali was surprised.

"I'm pretty good with riddles," the stable hand blushed.

"I don't believe this," Merrick complained.

'Times up dear, what did you decided?'

"The kraken wants an answer," Hali relayed to her group, "is it as yes?"

Finally, Merrick relented, and nodded.

"All right, Ketea," Hali spoke confidently, "what's your riddle?"

The kraken was delighted and sang.

_'First, the fish must be caught.'  
That is easy: a baby, I think, could have  
caught it.  
'Next, the fish must be bought.' That is easy: a penny, I think, would have  
bought it._

_'Now cook me the fish!'  
That is easy, and will not take more than a minute.  
'Let it lie in a dish!'  
That is easy, because it already is in it._

_'Bring it here! Let me sup!'  
It is easy to set such a dish on the table.  
'Take the dish-cover up!'  
Ah, __that is so hard that I fear I'm unable!_

_For it holds like glue-  
Holds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the  
middle:  
Which is easiest to do,  
Un-dish-cover the fish, or dishcover the  
riddle?_

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I haven't written about Hali and the escapades of her group in detail for some time now, so I thought I'd give them an entire chapter. I would have written more, but what better way to end a chapter than with a riddle? Do you know this one? It's pretty famous. I'll tell you the author of the riddle, and the book it appeared in at the end of my next chapter. Until then, have fun figuring it out! I wonder if Hali and the others will?

I told her baby, come out of your shell. I told her maybe you'll find that it's swell,

xJadeRainx


	65. Chapter 65: Quarrel

Lysander gingerly massaged his cheek that was still stinging form when Crickēta had slapped him. She may only be a girl, but she was surprisingly tough. The emperor wondered what else he didn't know about his cheeky prisoner. There had to be something, perhaps even dozens of somethings. Why was it, that he found the Atlantican so interesting?

"Why did you do that?" Lysander asked unsure of himself.

"Huh?" Crickēta voiced.

"You lied to Ceto, about your twin sister. Is she well?"

Crickēta chortled in amusement, "Oh, I don't have a twin sister, just an older sister who sounds like a shark at feeding time, when she snores."

A shark at feeding time? Was that a joke? Crickēta was a rather comical mermaid, indeed."

"But..."

"Oh, well, your guard, what was his name again?" Crickēta paused to think, "Oh, right Vex, when he captured me, he said something about me being a ghost, or you being a coward, and then I remembered the spell you placed over me. Why _didn't_ you kill me?"

"I didn't see the purpose," Lysander regarded the girl suspiciously, "but you still have not explained why you lied to Ceto in the first place."

"It's just... well, I... she saw the way she was scrutinizing you," Crickēta tried to explain, "I just thought that I might be able to make your life somewhat easier if I backed you up."

"Why?" the emperor was as confused as ever.

"I don't know," admitted Crickēta, "I guess I feel some sort of responsibility for you."

Lysander's head began to spin again. The Atlantican must be speaking in some foreign tongue, the emperor was not versed in. Back you up? Responsibility for you? Crickēta was his prisoner. It wasn't the other way around. It was he, Lysander, Emperor of Murk, who should feel responsible for the girl, and he did. Still, that did not change the fact, that Lysander had a job to carry out. The emperor was in a bid, truly. If only there was a way to return Tiamat to the kingdom, without spilling Jira's blood, then he could send Crickēta and the other Atlantican's home with the merbaby. That would be ideal. Unrealistic, but still, ideal. It was already the afternoon, the rising of the Blood Moon was quickly approaching, and Lysander still needed to prepare. He supposed the best thing to do, was to seek out Ceto, and try his hand at the proper cutting technique again. Hopefully, the priestess wasn't unduly angry with him.

Just then, the slave returned with the tray of food he had requested for Crickēta. Lysander wasn't sure what Atlantican's typically ate, so he ordered his slave to procure everything that was available in the kitchen. At least this way, Crickēta had a variety of foods to choose from. It was the least the emperor could do for her.

"Thank you, Eldon," Lysander began, "you may set it down in front of the prisoner, then leave."

The slave placed the tray of food on the floor of the dungeon, within Crickēta's reach, and quickly swam out of the room. Lysander was pleased to see Crickēta immediately began feeding herself. She looked as if she could use the nourishment.

"I must go now," Lysander informed.

"What?" Crickēta sputtered, dropping her food, "you can't leave. When are you going to let me out of here?"

"I'm not," the emperor answered, clearly shocked, "however, I'll be back to check on you later today."

"I thought we had a camaraderie," Crickēta stated, disappointed.

"A camaraderie?" echoed the emperor, "Crickēta, you are my prisoner, not my friend."

Why did those simple words seem to cause the Murken physical pain? And the look on Crickēta's face was enough to throw Lysander into a fit of despair. Words couldn't express Lysander's bewilderment, when Crickēta abruptly pushed the tray of food he had so thoughtfully brought to her, away in disgust.

"You are no more than a thief," Crickēta sneered at him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You are a thief, Lysander," repeated the Atlantican, "you didn't just kidnap Adelaide from us, her _family_, you stole her first strokes. We waited for a whole year, to see Adelaide swim!"

Again, Lysander found himself confused. What was so special about Jira swimming, that made Crickēta so upset with him? All merfolk swim.

"I think you are overreacting, Crickēta," Lysander began, now, eat your food, and I will return to see you in due time."

With that, Lysander, grabbed Jira in his arms, and turned his back to his prisoner, intending to leave the dungeon peacefully, but stopped swimming upon hearing Crickēta erupt in rage.

"Thief!"

The emperor spun around immediately at Crickēta's outburst. The girl was beginning to irritate him, now. For Ancient's cause, how dare an Atlantican call him a thief? An Atlantican of all the merfolk in the sea!

"Do not call me a thief, Crickēta," the Murken warned severely, "the Atlantican's are the thieves. You stole our lively hoods. Your people started this feud, and Tiamat will end it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Crickēta shouted angrily.

"Don't play coy, Crickēta," Lysander narrowed his eyes, "Murk will return return to glory, and if I cannot do it for m kingdom, Tiamat will."

"You're worse than a thief," the Atlantican spat, "you're a coward."

"I am not a coward," snarled Lysander.

"Oh yeah," Crickēta chuckled bitterly, "you want to murder an innocent child, to bring an _evil _queen back form the dead, just to get the naysayers off your back. I can sum that up in one word. Cowardly."

Lysander, again released Jira, and rushed towards the cell, gripping tightly to the bars holding Crickēta against her will. The Murken and the Atlantican stared each other down, anger flashing in both of their eyes.

"Coward," Crickēta repeated, in a venomous whisper.

"Hold your tongue," the emperor warned.

"Thief and a coward," the mermaid challenged.

Lysander's head was pounding again, only more furiously than it ever had before. The emperor needed to leave the dungeon immediately. These insults coming from Crickēta were far more than Lysander could bear.

The Murken scooped Jira up, cradling the child, and spoke, "I am leaving, and when I return, you will tell me where your friends are."

"You'll have to kill me first," Crickēta replied.

Lysander could feel himself tremble with the effort of restraining is rage. How could he have ever thought that the mermaid's cheekiness was ever endearing? The emperor let out a deep breath, and swam out of the room without so much as another word.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Aww, another Cricket/Lysander chapter. How sweet. Wait... what? Sorry, readers, but this chapter just begged to be written. I'm going to tell you something, friends, and try to absorb this into your thick skulls: Cricket and Lysander are NOT a couple. NOT. Now, I tell you this for your own good. You need to prepare yourself. They don't know all that much about each other, Lysander is a semi sociopath, who cannot even understand why Cricket is upset that she missed Adelaide's first swim, AND he still likes Ceto, even though he is beginning to see the light. You never know, Cricket and Lysander may just end up being friends. As a writer, I don't even know what's going to develop between those two. I'd hate to see anyone disappointed, and I'd hate to receive half a dozen death threats, because they story didn't turn out the way you wanted. Let's be reasonable. Furthermore, I am truly surprised that everyone is so accepting about a relationship between Cricket and Lysander! I thought for sure, readers would be up in arms. He's a kidnapper, and plans to revive an evil queen. Don't you remember a time when you hated him? I do. And really, do you think Cricket's family is EVER going to approve of him?

So to keep it simple,

Ariel + Eric = Couple.

Hali + Xavier = Couple

Cricket + Lysander = NOT couple.... yet.

Okay?

Breaking up is hard enough (oh oh oh oh)  
Say you had nothing but I called your bluff.  
You got my sweaters, my hat...  
I can't find my cat! *meow*  
The Hardest Part Of Breaking Up  
is getting Back Your Stuff.

xJadeRainx

2ge+her is so funny! Don't remember who they are? Look them up on Google. My sign off song is theirs.


	66. Chapter 66: Problem Solving

Hali was immediately disheartened by the kraken's riddle. Ketea riddle covered the topic of seafood. Hali had never eaten seafood, why would she? It was practically cannibalism, and for the very same reasons, Merrick and Serene didn't eat seafood either. Further, Hali had made Xavier vow to never eat fish again. And as luck would have it, their riddle was to discover the name of a fish. Wonderful. Just peachy.

"Hali?" Xavier began, "is something wrong?

That was when the Guardian realized that she still needed to repeat the riddle to the rest of the group. They hadn't head it yet. Hali shook her head and sighed. Perhaps between all of them, they could solve this puzzle, and quickly.

"Here's the riddle," Hali smiled wanly.

_'First, the fish must be caught.'  
That is easy: a baby, I think, could have  
caught it.  
'Next, the fish must be bought.' That is easy: a penny, I think, would have  
bought it._

_'Now cook me the fish!'  
That is easy, and will not take more than a minute.  
'Let it lie in a dish!'  
That is easy, because it already is in it._

_'Bring it here! Let me sup!'  
It is easy to set such a dish on the table.  
'Take the dish-cover up!'  
Ah, __that is so hard that I fear I'm unable!_

_For it holds like glue-  
Holds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the  
middle:  
Which is easiest to do,  
Un-dish-cover the fish, or dishcover the  
riddle?_

"That's the riddle?" Merrick asked in disbelief.

"That's the riddle," sighed Hali.

"I don' even know what it be askin', mon." Sebastian huffed.

"It does seem tricky," Hali admitted.

"Do you know what Master Tortoise says?" Serene asked.

"We don't have time to be silly, Serene," Merrick chastised the girl.

"Ce me fait chier," the mergirl sniffed, "no one ever listens to me."

Xavier ruffled Serene's blond locks, and winked at her.

"Let her speak, Merrick," Xavier quipped, "she probably knows more than you do."

Merrick glared at Xavier, but said nothing.

"Go on, Serene," Xavier said gently.

"He says that when something is hard, take it in small pieces, and figure it out slowly."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," smiled Xavier.

Serene grinned back at him.

"Okay, all right," Hali sighed, noting the strange hostility between Merrick and her fiancée, "why don't we start working on that riddle, that kraken..."

There was another loud hiss emitted from the creature.

Hali began again, "We should start working on that riddle, Katea, is looking pretty hungry."

"Oh, mon," Sebastian groaned, "I'm too young ta be crab cakes."

If Hali were in a better mood, and wasn't worried to death about Adelaide, she would have cracked a joke at the old crab's expense. The idea of Sebastian being too young for anything, was utterly ridiculous.

"Let me at that riddle," Tip growled, as ferociously, as a penguin could growl, "I'll conquer it, I'll murder it, I'll..."

"We're supposed to solve it together, pal, "Dash explained, "little by little, just like Serene said."

Tip let out a massive breath, and his once puffed out chest, now looked more like a deflated balloon animal.

"Okay, guys!" Hali scolded, "let's focus. The first part of the riddle is: 'First, the fish must be caught.' That is easy: a baby, I think, could have caught it."

"Well, Serene, you're the baby of the group. What do you think that means?" Merrick asked.

"I'm not a baby, Merrick!" Serene shouted angrily.

"That's right, she's a big girl," Xavier soothed, "what does a big girl like you think it means?"

Serene bunched up her little button nose, thinking, "If a _baby_ could catch it, then that probably means that it is a fish that swims very slow."

"Fish don't swim slow, Serene," argued Merrick.

"What about jellyfish?" offered Xavier.

"Yeah," Serene smiled at Xavier for defending her.

"Jellyfish aren't technically fish, genius," scoffed Merrick.

"It's a riddle, Merrick," Hali heaved in exasperation, "it may not be a hundred percent literal."

"Yeah," Serene squealed, delighted that Merrick was being brought back to tide school.

"All right now, stop it, mon. We still got work ta do," Sebastian tapped his legs impatiently on Hali's shoulders.

"He's right," Hali admitted, "so, working with Serene's logic, we can assume that it is a fish that swims slowly, possibly a jellyfish."

"What if it's a fish that doesn't move at all?" Dash asked in curiosity.

"That would make it very easy for a _baby_ to pick it up," Serene added wisely.

"And now, we are back to square one," Merrick growled pessimistically.

Hali could feel her anger rising again. Merrick could be so pigheaded sometimes. She would have told him as much, but seeing as Merrick didn't know what a pig was in the first place, it would be an utter waste of breath. Hali was far to exhausted to explain it to him. Why had her grandfather forced her to bring Merrick along anyway. Merrick had proved to be completely useless so far. He even forgot the map, pointing their way to Murk, back at the inn, forcing Hali and the group to team up with Tip and Dash, adventurers slash explorers. To make matter's worse, Merrick appeared to be waging some personal, bloody war against Xavier, too. Really, for some one as gentle as Xavier, he was gaining enemies fast, first Sam, then Adrian, and now Merrick. Hali was shaking in her attempt to suppress her temper. All she wanted was for this riddle to be over with, quickly, go find Cricket, and rescue Adelaide. But no, she had to sit here and argue with Merrick first. Xavier must have sensed Hali's irritation, for he grabbed her delicate hand, and gave it a gentle tug. Perfect. That was exactly what the Guardian needed at that moment, some good, old fashioned reassurance.

"Let's move on to the next part of the riddle," Xavier said kindly.

"Okay," Hali breathed, as she recalled what came next, "'Let it lie in a dish!' That is easy, because it already is in it."

"So, it's already in its own dish?" Merrick rephrased the question.

Hali was beginning to find the mere sound of Merrick's voice annoying. She only wished that he would quit talking.

"It's a shell!" Serene suddenly burst out.

"Where?" Dash asked, looking around, "I can add it to my collection."

"She was talking about the riddle, blubber brain," Tip explained to his companion, and fellow adventurer slash explorer.

"Have we figured out the riddle, yet?" the kraken sang.

"Not yet, Ketea," Hali grunted through tightly gritted teeth, "we need more time."

"Fine, fine," the kraken circled the group, "I've still got centuries in me."

"What were you saying about a shell, Serene," Hali asked. She was so exhausted, she could barely keep her thoughts straight, anymore. How was she ever going to solve this riddle in her current state?

"The dish is actually a shell," repeated the child.

Yes, Hali had to admit that the little mermaid was on to something. Merfolk used shells for everything, beds, jewelery, and even dinner plates. Of course they would! The ocean has a never ending bounty of shells.

"Den it's a crustacean, mon," Sebastian stated proudly.

"Or a shellfish," Xavier countered.

"You're so smart, Xavier," Serene cooed.

Hali sighed inwardly. It seemed that Serene's little crush on her fiancée was returning. She couldn't blame the girl, however. Xavier was so very adorable. Excusing the pun, he was a great catch indeed.

"A shellfish," Hali repeated thoughtfully, "maybe a mollusk?"

Hali was truly racking her brain at the moment. She was so tired. None of them had gotten any sleep in over a day, now. All this thinking was beginning to hurt Hali's head. If only she had grown up on seafood. Then, the Guardian might have solved the problem swiftly, but then, that would make her a cannibal... sort of, and no one likes a cannibal. Hali rubbed the sides of her temples, trying to sooth the formulating migraine. Her mind was wandering.

Xavier squeezed his fiancée's hand again, "what was that last piece of the riddle Hali."

Hali sighed, offering him a wan smile. She could do this. The guardian only needed to remember the last part of Ketea's riddle, and Hali had a pretty good memory to begin with.

"For it holds like glue- Holds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the middle: Which is easiest to do, Un-dish-cover the fish, or dishcover the riddle?" Hali breathed heavily. There, it was done. All they needed to do was come up with the last part. They had plenty of leads, clues. How difficult could it really be? Oh, her head was pounding.

"So, it's stuck in it's own dish?" Merrick again stated the obvious.

"Yes, it's stuck in it's own dish, Merrick!" Hali yelled, which caused an imaginary shard of glass become lodged in Hali's brain. Agony.

"Shh, Hali," Xavier hushed, "shouting isn't going to solve the riddle."

"I know," Hali's voice cracked, "I'm sorry."

Serene swam over to Hali, and offered her favorite cousin a much needed hug. Hali supposed that the girl picked up on her distress. Of course she did. Serene was one smart little girl.

"For it holds like glue- Holds the lid to the dish, while it lies in the middle," Xavier stated, thoughtfully, Holds the lid to the dish."

Xavier was so attractive when he was thinking.

"Xavier?" Hali began.

Then the stable hand let out a gasp.

"What's wrong?" Serene asked in a horrified voice.

"Nothing's wrong," Xavier answered the child with one of his award winning smiles, "in fact, it's just the opposite."

The opposite of wrong, the opposite of wrong. Hali knew the word her fiancée was referring to, however she was far too tired, and her head ached too much to think of it, at the moment.

"Does that mean you have the answer?" Merrick snapped.

"Yes, I believe that I do."


	67. Chapter 67: Giggles and Grudges

When the Crowned Prince of Westland finally returned to the palace of his in-laws, his beloved wife was resting peacefully, so he headed straight to the nursery where his tiny daughter was waiting to meet her daddy. Melody had written to him the day after the baby was born, and in the letter, she described their daughter as the most adorable, bubbly little creature on the face of the planet. Now, as Lance cradled his child in his arms, he couldn't help but think that his baby girl was the dearest little thing he had ever laid eyes upon. She was a carbon copy of her mother, with a generous head of downy black hair, and sapphire blue eyes. He smiled down at his new daughter, and gently tickled under her chin. Lance was far beyond delighted when the baby giggled back at him. Babies were truly amazing, and to think that his had been out of the womb for a week now, and he was only getting acquainted with her. Lance could have kicked himself. There was a knock at the nursery door, and Lance craned his neck to see who it was. He was hoping it was Melody, but instead was met with the figure of his father in-law standing in the doorway. Eric silently entered the room.

"She looks a lot like Melody, as a baby," Eric commented, looking over the prince's shoulder, to get a better view of his granddaughter.

"I can tell that already," laughed Lance.

"So," the king of Shireland hesitated, "have you gone to see your wife yet?"

"No," Lance admitted, "Melody's resting at the moment."

"Do yourself a favor, and don't get too close to her," Eric warned.

"I'm sorry?" poor Lance was confused.

"How can I put this gently," Eric scratched behind his ear, "my daughter is steaming mad at you."

"Oh, no she isn't," Lance brushed off.

"Yes," the king maintained, "she is."

"For missing the birth?"

"Pretty much," nodded the king.

"Well, I couldn't very well leave my kingdom in a state of disarray. God only knows what my father would have done to make things worse!"

"I know," Eric began, "you'll make a good king someday, and I don't blame you for staying away so long, unfortunately, I can't say the same for the women of the household."

"The women?" Lance emphasized, "am I to assume that Ariel and Hali are also upset with me?"

"Ariel... yes, but try not to take it personally. She has an awful lot on her plate, lately."

"And Hali?"

"No, Hali isn't angry with you at the moment."

Lance raised a blond eyebrow in disbelief.

"She isn't here, hasn't been in weeks, but when she returns, I'm sure she'll let you have it!"

"Where's Hali run off to?" Lance asked, all the while gazing into the face of his child.

"Swam, actually," Eric explained, "more trouble in Atlantica."

"What exactly happened while I was away?"

"A lot," Eric sighed.

"Do you care to elaborate?"

Eric plopped down into a nearby rocking chair. This explanation, was going to take a while.

"Well, first Hali was kidnapped by pirates..."

"What!"

"Yes," the king waved his hand annoyed at being interrupted, "but she escaped along with her sailor friend, but the next day she disappeared, leaving behind a note saying that she went to Atlantica, claiming that she'd be back before the end of the month. All though, she did sign the note with x's and o's. Apparently she thought that would ease the blow."

"That's sounds like Hali," Lance grinned.

Eric continued, "Then Melody had the baby, and then I captured the pirate that kidnapped Hali, and _then_ we discovered that Ariel's baby sister was kidnapped by enemies of the Atlanticans' and plan to use Adelaide in some sort of ritual sacrifice. Hali went off on a rescue mission, and we haven't heard from her since... unless you count the message she sent saying, 'Can't talk now. Bye.'"

"How did Hali get a message to you from where ever she is?" Lance asked curiously.

"That's another long story I don't feel like explaining."

"Well that explains why Ariel is so on edge..."

There was another soft knock at the door, and this time both Lance and his father in-law looked up. The servant girl Nina was standing modestly in the doorway.

"Excuse me Your Majesties, but princess Melody is awake now, and has asked to see her husband."

"That's me," Lance grinned.

"You'd better wipe that grin off your face, before Melody sees. If you don't she'll do it for you."

"She never could stay mad at me," Lance replied confidently.

"Fine, fine," Eric yawned, "it's your funeral."

"Here," Lance motioned, "do yo want her, while I go see Melody?"

"No," Eric shook his head, "take her to her mother. You should all spend some time together as a family."

Lance slowly walked down the palace corridors, with his infant daughter in his arms. After every few steps, he couldn't resist looking down at her tiny face. Her features were so delicate, and Lance could swear that every time he gazed upon the girl, she doubled in cuteness. When the prince reached the guest room Melody had been using all this time, he froze just outside the door. The talk he just had with his father in-law made him feel a little anxious. Just how sore was Melody? Lance quickly shook off his insecurities, and rapped lightly upon the wooden door, before entering. There was Melody, sitting on a chair near the window, overlooking the sea. Lance's heart skipped a beat in his chest, for a moment. His wife looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her.

"Hello, my darling," Lance greeted, with his warmest smile.

"Lance," she acknowledged curtly.

"Okay," Lance sighed, sitting at the edge of the queen sized bed, "your father told me you were angry with me, Meldoy..."

His sentence trailed off there, for Melody outstretched her arms, clearly expecting for the child to be deposited into her motherly embrace. Lance smiled, and walking over to where his wife was seated, somewhat reluctantly, surrendered his daughter.

"How's my little Karah?" Melody cooed, rocking the girl back and forth.

"Karah?" Lance's smile faded, quite hurt "you named her without me?"

"I gave birth to her without you too," Melody snipped, "she's a week and two days old now. Was I supposed to call her Little Girl, until you finally decided to return?"

The prince kneeled down in front of his wife, "I apologized for not being here already, Melody."

"Yes," she replied flatly, "in a letter."

"Melody!" Lance cried, but then thought better, and added gently, "my darling, father nearly plunged Westland into a war with Tersia. I couldn't just get up and leave. You understand."

"Humpf," was all his princess had to say.

Lance sighed, "How many times would you like for me to apologize, Melody?"

"I'll let you know when I'm satisfied."

The prince noticed how the corners of his wife's mouth twitched momentarily. The little wretch was laughing at him! Melody never could stay upset with him for long. Still, he could play along with her little game.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry times one hundred," Lance pleaded.

Melody contemplated his words with a heavy sigh, "Hmm, that's not quite enough."

"I'm sorry times a million!" the prince clasped his hands to his heart.

"Keep going," ordered his wife.

"I'm sorry, times infinity plus eight!"

With that, Melody broke into a wide grin, "that should about cover it, Lance."

"Oh, thank goodness," he feigned wiping sweat from his brow, "so, I'm not sleeping in the doghouse tonight?"

"No," Melody answered, laying their daughter down in a hand crafted cradle, at her right hand side, and covering her with a pink blanket, "I've missed you far too much for that."

"And I've missed you, my darling," Lance wooed, taking her petite hands in his larger ones.

He was still on his knees before her, and they were really starting to smart, but he wasn't going to say anything about it. His Melody forgave him, and they now delighted in a brand new baby girl. That was all that really mattered to Lance. Melody reached down, and stroked the side of his cheek with a gentle hand. Unable to resist himself any longer, he rose to his wife's level, and planted a passionate kiss upon her soft, moist lips. They remained kissing that way, in complete rapture, for several moments, before they each broke apart for air.

"Karah is a beautiful name," Lance whispered into his wife's ear.

"I know," Melody answered, placing a stray kiss on her husband's brow.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah **

It's a girl! How romantic was this chapter? I really enjoyed writing it. i hope you all enjoyed reading it. You should all be happy. I had planned to make you all wait for the very end of the story to find out if Melody and Lance had a boy or a girl. However, Converse r life convinced me otherwise. Thank her.

Okay, so it's been snowing for nearly two day's straight where I live. It's good snow too! Perfect for snowball fights! I taught Ember how to pack them properly. We must have made hundreds of them! Why would me and my pet dragon need so many snow ball, you ask? Well... that's none of your business! HaHaHaHa!

So anyway, sorry to keep you guys waiting, But Hali's story continues with the next chapter. I promise.

Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top,

xJadeRainx


	68. Chapter 68: Don't Feed the Kraken

Xavier did think he knew the answer. _For it holds like glue_. That was the line that gave the whole riddle away. Xavier clearly remembered how he had worked to get Hali's engagement ring. Purchasing a diamond was out of the question. He simply didn't have that kind of money at his disposal, so he had gotten a little creative. There was a large oyster bed nearby the palace, and Xavier spent the entire morning diving among the bed, and picking up oysters, looking for a pearl deserving of his precious Hali. It took nearly every ounce of strength Xavier possessed to pry those oysters apart. If there was one thing Xavier recalled about the experience, it was how he thought to himself that the damned oysters may as well have been glued together, they were so hard to open.

"The answer is an oyster," Xavier told Hali.

"An oyster!" Hali smacked her own forehead, "The answer seems so simple now."

"I can't believe I didn't think of that," Merrick grumbled to himself.

"Well you didn't," Serene began dreamily, "_Xavier_ did!"

"You helped too, Serene," Xavier winked at her.

Xavier smiled at the child's admiration, in spite of himself. What could he do? He had already broken things off with the girl. He couldn't help the fact that Serene appeared to be completely smitten with him. Xavier ruffled the Serene's blond hair. She would grow out of it eventually, he hoped.

* * *

Hali rubbed her hands together, in nervous anticipation. Thanks to Xavier, they now had the answer, or at least, they believed they had the answer, and their was only one way to find out if they were right or wrong.

'Have you got an answer to the riddle, now?' the kraken chirped.

The sound of the kraken's singsong voice, was beginning to give Hali goosebumps.

"Yes, Ketea," answered the Guardian, "we do."

'Oh," the kraken squealed, 'do tell!'

"The answer is an oyster," Hali confidently repeated.

'No, no, no, that is absolutely,' Ketea paused, '...correct?'

Hali gave a triumphant smirk. They had put their heads together, and outwitted the kraken. Now, they could be on their way. It was just as well, too. Hali was having terribly vibes, telling her that poor Adelaide couldn't wait on them much longer.

* * *

Ketea remained, twisting her fleshy tentacles, in utter disbelief. Did these mere children solve her very best riddle? She had spent a century perfecting that one! Many who came before these little fin biters had tried their luck at cracking Ketea's riddle and failed, forfeiting their lives. This had never happened to her before. Ketea had been serving the Murken royal line for three hundred years, now, since they day she was hatched. She had never failed them before. Should Lyansder know that Ketea simply let half a dozen intruders slip past her, why, he'd make calamari out of her! And then, who would take care of her baby? Her little Ketos, was only twenty years old, for Ancients' Cause! No, the intruders had to die immediately. It was as simple as that. No worries though, Ketea could make quick work out of this lot. They looked like a bunch of misfits.

'I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere, my dears.'

* * *

The smirk on Hali's face melted instantly. What was all this about? The deal was that if Hali and the others could solve the Kraken's riddle, they could go about their business unharmed. Hali should have known better. The kraken was behaving much to friendly to begin with, and now it seemed that Ketea was growing increasingly more hostile, as the minutes slipped by.

"We had an agreement, Ketea," Hali began angrily, "we solved it correctly. Now, let us pass."

'No, I can't do that.'

"What's going on?" Merrick asked.

"Ketea isn't going to let us pass that easily."

"I knew it," Merrick grumbled, " but no one ever listens to me."

"What?" Serene whimpered, "but the kraken promised!"

'well, I lied,' Ketea trilled, circling her prey.

Suddenly, the kraken charged at them. Ketea expertly glided her muscular body through the icy water, snapping her beak menacingly. She lashed out a long, suctioned tentacle, grabbing Sebastian by one of his stubby legs, opened her beak wide, and was about to toss the crab into her mouth when Hali intervened.

The guardian wasted no time, and quickly grabbed her spell book form her knapsack, and found the page she needed, "Вызваленне!"

A hot, white light shot out from the pages of the spell book, directly targeting the kraken's sensitive tentacles. Ketea immediately dropped Sebastian with a shriek, rubbing her sore tentacles together. The Kraken remained stunned, and Hali knew it was because of her spell. Ketea knew she was a child of sea and shore. Ketea also knew that she was the Ocean's Heart, but she didn't know that Hali was the Guardian. It seems that the kraken had bitten off a little more than she could chew this time around.

"Merrick, Xavier," Hali ordered seriously, "lead the others towards the palace entrance. I'll follow in a minute."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Xavier worried.

"I'll be fine. I promise," Hali breathed, "now go, please."

Hali could tell that Xavier wasn't happy with the idea of leaving her at the mercy of a hungry, angry kraken, but he trusted her. Xavier took Serene in his arms, and sped off towards the entrance. Merrick, with Sebastian clamped to his tail, followed close behind.

"Say, fishgirl..." Tip began.

"GO!"

Hali's outburst must have startled the two adventurers slash explorers, and the took off at record speeds.

Ketea laughed, 'They can't out swim me.'

The kraken chased after them, quickly closing the gap between herself and her victims.

"Maybe not," Hali whispered to herself, "but I can out smart you. Шчыт!"

Suddenly, the kraken's body collided with an invisibly shield, Hali had summoned, with a deafening thud. It must have been a hard blow, for Ketea's body slowly peeled off the barrier, and began drifting towards the floor of the underwater catacombs. Hali's quick maneuver gave the others just enough time to escape into the Murken palace. However, the kraken's daze only lasted for a few seconds, for soon she had recovered, and was seething with rage.

'How dare you!' Ketea growled.

"I already told you once," Hali snapped, "that if you even tried to harm my friends, you wouldn't live to eat another meal. I meant it."

'They won't get far. After I kill you, I'll locate your little friends and devour them with pleasure.'

"I've faced worse than you in this past year alone, Ketea," Hali smirked, "I am not afraid."

Really, Hali didn't know where all these brave words were coming from. She hadn't spoken like this since she last confronted Tiamat. Oh well. Bravery comes from adversity, she summed up.

'Well, you should be,' the kraken replied, 'unless you are of very little brain.'

"Try me."

Ketea lurched at Hali, wrapping a tentacle tightly around her chartreuse fins. The kraken gave a might tug, and before Hali knew it, she was ensnared by three of the kraken's large tentacles. Worse yet, Ketea effortlessly wrenched Hali's spell book from her hands with a free tentacle.

'Well, what do we have here?' Ketea asked teasingly, as she casually flipped thought the pages of the spell book, 'I never did learn Ancient Atlatican.'

Hali needed her book, still. She had only been training for a year, and she had to do it all alone. Tiamat had murdered Murphy, her mentor, and long lost relative. Hali could craft her own spells, but only so long as her book was in the same room as her. Hali knew that one day, she wouldn't need to use the spell book as a crutch, but she would have to continue with her rigorous practicing. Luckily for the Guardian, Ketea hadn't destroyed the book, and was still flipping through the pages with curiosity.

"аслабіць вашу ручку" all Hali could do was whisper, for the kraken was slowly crushing her, with strong tentacles.

Ketea immediately dropped the book, as her tentacles began to unwind from around her prisoner's body. Whatever Hali had done to the kraken, it caused her tentacles to turn soft and flabby, so that she could hold on to her prey no longer. As soon as Hali was freed, she swam to her book, and caught it up in her arms, before it had a chance to hit the ground.

"Don't underestimate me," warned the Guardian.

The kraken was swimming clumsily about the catacombs, desperately attempting to regain control of her body. Hali had neither the time, nor the desire to continue playing these silly games with Ketea. She hastily flipped through the pages of her spell book. Hali was sure there was a killing spell in there somewhere. Good. She found it. Hali glanced up quickly. Ketea was still tripping over her own tentacles. Hali drew in a deep breath, and prepared herself to deliver the spell. Only, before she could utter a single word, Hali noticed that another kraken had entered the room.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hey guys! Sorry, I haven't updated, but I've been watching the Olympics like a maniac. Currently, the United States leads the Olympic medal count, with one gold, one silver, and two bronze! Go team, USA!

Yes, the answer to the riddle is an oyster. Congratulations to those of you who figured it out. Especially if you didn't use Google! The Riddle was written by Lewis Carroll, and appears in his book, Through the Looking Glass. According to Martin Gardner in the Annotated Alice, "An oyster. A baby can pick it up from an oyster bed, a penny would buy one in Carroll's day, it cooks quickly, it lies in its own dish, it is easily placed on the table, but the "dish-cover" is hard to raise because it is held to the dish by the oyster in the middle." Carroll was such a clever man!

Uh-oh, Hali. Not another kraken! This could mean trouble...

So, I hope you enjoyed this installment. More to come. Keep reading!

Happy Valentines Day, readers!

You're my funny Valentine,

xJadeRainx


	69. Chapter 69: Sorting Matters

Lysander swam through the watery corridors of his palace, grumbling darkly to himself. That awful Atlantican, Crickēta must have raised his body temperature by at least ten degrees. How dare that silly, little girl call _him _a thief, and then go and rub sea salt into his wounds by proclaiming him a coward? Lysander was neither of those things. He was Emperor of Murk for Ancients' Cause. Then, Lysander stopped his angry swimming and bit his lower lip, unconsciously. Before the night ended Tiamat would return, and where would that leave him? Certainly he wouldn't be Emperor anymore. The Murken let out a heavy sigh, but what else could he do? His people wanted Tiamat returned to them. If Lysander were to keep the throne, now, Murk would more than likely be plunged into a civil war. More lives would be lost for silly, trivial things. Lysander couldn't bear the thought. He had a responsibility to keep his subjects happy. The emperor only wished that poor, little Jira didn't have to pay the price. If there was anyone innocent in this whole situation, it was Jira. Lysander shook his head clear, and continued on his way. He needed to find Ceto, now. The Blood Moon was quickly approaching, and if Lysander didn't get the cutting technique down correctly, all of this, everything, would have been for nothing. If Jira was to loose her young life, the emperor could at least ensure she wouldn't die in vain. But where was Ceto? Lysander had left the priestess in the temple earlier that morning, when he was forced to deal with the intruder Vex had captured. Surely, Ceto would not still be waiting there for him. Oh, but then the emperor remembered that Ceto had come to the dungeon in search of Jira. Lysander had sent the priestess away, in his irritation. In any case, Lysander still needed to return Adelaide to her nursery, as the merbaby was growing sleepy, her increasingly wide yawns, made that obvious enough. Fine. Lysander would place Jira in her cradle, and then commence his search for Ceto.

Lysander frowned as he gently laid Jira down in her cradle. Strange forces were tugging at him lately, making the young emperor feel terribly uneasy. Just what were the Ancients trying to convey to him? Shortly after Jira's tiny head hit the seaweed pillow, the child fell into a peaceful rest. Lysander might have smiled, but the knowledge that Jira's time among the living was short, prevented him. Quickly, he turned away for the child, and moved to exit the nursery. Just as he was swimming out the shell door, a young nursemaid entered. The nursemaid bowed her head politely to her emperor, but did not make eye contact.

"Greetings, Umi," Lysander began, "my apologies for keeping the child away from the nursery so long."

The emperor became puzzled when the nursemaid did not respond to his words.

"Umi?"

The mermaid shook her head out of her apparent daze and finally met the emperor's eyes, "My apologies, Emperor, I am so unused to being called by my actual name."

Somehow, Lysander had forgotten that the Murken Nobility refer to the slave by one word. Slaves. They had no individual identities. No distinctions. Nothing. Lysander was startled by the young nursemaid's next question.

"How did you ever remember my name in the first place, Emperor?"

Lysander shrugged, "I have an excellent memory, I suppose. I can recall the names of all the monarchs, starting from the very first emperor of Murk, until, well me."

Umi smiled thinly at him for a moment before speaking, "I have work to get back to, my Emperor."

Lysander could tell the young mermaid was feeling rather uncomfortable, "Then I shall be taking my lead now."

The nursemaid bowed her head again, and once more, Lysander made to leave the nursery. However, he soon thought of something, and turned to face the slave called Umi, once more.

"Do you happen to know where Priestess Ceto is currently?"

"Yes, Emperor," Umi replied, "she is in the study."

"_My_ study?" Lysander asked, furrowing his bark brows.

"Yes," the nursemaid confirmed, "she is also accompanied by Master Ladon."

Lysander's heart unexpectedly skipped a beat. What was Ceto doing in _his_ study, and with Ladon of all people? If Ceto needed to read up on the Blood Moon ceremony, that was fine, but Ladon had no bearing on the sacrifice at all. His cousin had no business to be rummaging though his study. Lysander had made himself perfectly clear the first time he found Ladon poking around. What in Ancient's Cause was going on? Whatever it was, Lysander was determined to find out.

"Emperor?" Umi's voice cut into Lysander's thoughts, as sharp as the Serriform Star, "are you well? Should I send for a healer?"

A healer. Lysadner truly did feel as if he required the services of a healer, at the moment. that however, would have to wait.

"No, Umi," Lysander assured the slave, "I am fine. Thank you for your help."

With that, Lysander sped off towards his study. It was far past due to see what his dear cousin was planning, and now it seemed that Ladon had also dragged Ceto into his sordid affairs.

* * *

The second kraken slowly slipped from the shadows, until Hali could get a clear view of the creature. When compared to Hali, the animal was large, but when compared to Ketea, it seemed hardly any more than a baby. The Guardian watched with great interest as the smaller karken swam to Ketea and began to stoke it lovingly with its tentacles. It appeared that Ketea had finally regain full control over her tentacles, and very carefully began to unwind the smaller kraken form her body.

'Mother?' Hali would compare the kraken's voice to a whimper.

'Ketos," his mother began gravely, 'get back into the lair, now.'

Hali was stunned. The tone of Ketea's words was almost identical to her one mother's voice. Hali had heard such things come from Ariel's mouth probably more than she could count. The Guardian was at a loss of what to do. Hali didn't have an icy enough of a heart to murder a mother in front of her very child. Ketea was distracted at the moment. The Guardian could make a swim for it, and head towards the entrance of the Murken palace. But, she didn't. Hali knew that once Ketea had dealt with the young kraken, she'd chase after her with a vengeance. Good luck rescuing Adelaide while fighting off a giant kraken, pursuing her down the halls of her enemies' home. No, there had to be something else the Guardian could do to solve her little problem now. Then it came to her. If there was one thing Hali knew how to do, and do it well, was bluff. The guardian liked to think that she knew how mothers' operated inside and out, from as far as she could tell, the karken species were no different.

"First I'll do away with your child, Ketea," Hali spoke with the darkest voice she could muster, "and then I'll move on to you."

Hali purposefully opened her spell book, turning to a random page. The Guardian hoped she only looked convincing enough.

'I will never allow you to hurt my son!' roared Ketea, as she charged towards Hali in a murderous rage.

Just as the kraken was about to overcome her, Hali uttered a spell for the third time, "Шчыт"

Again, Ketea's massive body slammed against the Guardian's invisible shield, with a yelp of pain. However, the kraken recovered quickly, and as soon as Hali's shield faded, Ketea rushed at her vengefully. Hali remained calm. She was the Guardian after all. Hali could take on the kraken. She had to.

The minute Ketea was in striking distance of her spell, Hali attacked, "Замарожванне!"

Instantly, every last muscle in the kraken's body froze. Unable to move, Ketea helpless drifted to the floor of the catacombs. All the kraken could do now, was watch as the Guardian dispatched her precious son.

'Mother!' the young kraken cried, swimming to her.

Hali once again took to skimming the pages of her spell book, though it was only an act of pageantry.

"Let's see, let's see," Hali murmured to herself, "Ah, now _this_ is a killing spell. Very painful. tortuous even."

'Spare my son, please,' Ketea begged.

"I just might, _if_ you give me what I want, Ketea," Hali was in absolute control.

'Anything.'

The Guardian couldn't help but think, that a kraken would prove to be a valuable ally. All she needed to do was convert Ketea to their side, and Hali already had the gigantic creature under her delicate thumb.

"I want your loyalty," Hali began, "your devotion."

'Fine,' the kraken relented.

"Good," Hali smirked in triumph, "вызваленне."

With a single word, Ketea was released from Hali's spell. The kraken immediately took up her son, and wrapped him protectively in her many tentacles.

'Mother?' the kraken child asked, 'what is happening? I am frightened, and hungry.'

'Hush, Ketos," his mother chided.

"Release your son, and come to me, Ketea," Hali ordered.

The kraken grudgingly did as the Guardian commanded. Never before had Ketea been beaten at her own game.

Hali placed her hand along the kraken's great body and whispered, "З гэтымі словамі могуць быць звязаныя нашы душы."

There was a short, but intense burst of light, and when Hali removed her hand from Ketea's body, she noticed that the spell she had crafted left a mark resembling that of her grandfather's trident.

"What did you do to me?" Ketea inquired.

"There is no need to worry," Hali said slightly kinder than had addressed the kraken previously, "I only made it so that our souls are linked. You are mine, now."

The guardian gazed into Ketea's eyes, and could see that the creature held nothing but contempt for her. Well, that was to be expected. Hali had just humiliated the kraken, and taken away her free will. But Ketea couldn't hurt her now. Hali didn't offer the kraken another word, but headed straight for the palace entrance. Ketea immediately, and dutifully followed her new mistress. Hali spun around instantly. The Guardian wanted an ally, for when she found herself in a bind, she did not want, nor did she need a humongous karken shadow.

"Stay here, Ketea," Hali commanded, "you will know that I need you when I call your name."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Wow, I can't believe that I haven't updated this story since Valentine's Day! As Lysander would say, 'My apologies.' This was a rather long chapter (1,869 words, without author's notes), if it's any consolation.

Now, did you guys really think that Hali would ever kill a baby, even if it was a karken?

I am proud to inform you, that the United States is once again leading the Olympic medal count with eighteen medals! 6 gold, 5 silver, and 7 bronze! We have the most medals in each category than any other country so far in these Vancouver Winter Games. Germany is in Second with eleven medals, and Norway is in third with eight. Go team USA!

Now, in the spirit of the Olympics,

When Brian Boitano was in the Olympics,  
Skating for the gold,  
He did two Salchows and a triple lutz,  
While wearing a blind fold.

xJadeRainx


	70. Chapter 70: Fatigue

In less than no time, Lysander was hovering outside the door to his study. The emperor was just about to barge in and demand to know what the priestess and his _favorite_ cousin were doing there, when he paused. Both Ladon and Ceto were speaking in hushed voices. What were they talking about, Lysander wondered.

"Do you understand what I have just explained to you Ceto?"

Lysander listened with interest. Ladon's voice sounded so arrogant, more so than usual. Lysander cursed inwardly. He had missed whatever it was his cousin was talking about. What _did_ Ladon tell Ceto?

"Yes," the priestess affirmed.

"Good, then I'll leave you to handle it."

"Handle what?" Lysander whispered to himself.

If there was one thing the emperor was certain of, it was that he did not like the idea of Ceto and his cousin conversing secretly, in _his_ private study. Lysander was determined to get the answer to his questions, at the very least. The emperor forcefully pushed open the door, and Ladon and Ceto jumped guiltily. Very interesting, indeed.

"Lysander!" Ceto shrieked.

The emperor raised his eyebrows high, "The two of you seemed odly surprised to see me in my own study."

"That's nonsense, Lysander," his cousin smirked, "you just startled us, entering in such a fury. What are you some kind of a madman?"

"What are you doing here, in _my_ personal study, Ladon?"

"Ceto had a question about the Blood Moon Ceremony, so she came to me for..."

"Why would you go to him, Ceto?" Lysander angrily turned to the priestess, "Ladon has nothing to do with the ritual, you said as much yourself."

"Certainly she would have, Lysander, but you were," he paused, "... _preoccupied_ with the prisoner."

Lysander glared at Ladon, "I am speaking to Ceto, not to you."

"My, aren't we touchy this afternoon," Ladon remarked.

The emperor shook his head, and returned his attention to the priestess, "Well, Ceto..."

Lysander's words were cut short, not by Ladon or even Ceto, for that matter, but by something within his very core. There was an ever present bond Lysander had felt in his soul, ever since he became Murk's emperor. Phorcys had told him once in passing, that all slaves were bound to the emperor, but the strongest bond of all occurred between the emperor and the kraken. The kraken would always be loyal to the Murken royal line, always. The only means of escaping such a bond, was for the kraken to surrender to the forces of death itself. Lysander no longer felt that bond. It was almost as if a string that was connected to his heart was abruptly cut loose.

"Lysander?" Ceto asked, "What is it? You are pale."

"Ketea..." Lysander breathed out, mostly to himself.

"Who's Ketea?" the priestess questioned.

"The kraken."

"What about the kraken?" Ladon demanded.

"Ketea..." the emperor began again, "she's dead."

"That's impossible," Ceto gasped, "the kraken is only three hundred years old. She's still got centuries left to her lifespan!"

"But the bond... I can't feel the bond. It's been severed."

"But that can't be!" Ceto lamented.

"The outsiders," Lysander whispered, "they must have killed her."

"The Atlantican is held up in the dungeon," Ceto stated.

"Yes, but there are more still roaming about. Crickēta's friends..."

Lysander could tell that neither Ceto nor Ladon cared for the fact that he had given the prisoner a new name. Obviously they felt that Crickēta should be treated no better than a slave, but Lysadner didn't have the time to address that matter at the moment.

"Even if that is so," Ladon began, "how could a few straggling outsiders exterminate the mighty kraken?"

"I do not know."

"They should have forfeited their lives upon entering the catacombs!" Ladon shouted.

"Perhaps you are mistaken, Lysander?" the priestess asked.

Lysander simply shook his head, 'no'. The bond had been broken. That could only mean one thing. Ketea was dead.

Ladon swam angrily to the door, "I am going to alert the guards. If you, _halfling_, won't have the outsiders found, then _I_ will."

With that, Ladon exited the room, leaving Lysander alone with the priestess. Lysander pressed his hand to his forehead. Why wouldn't his head stop its infernal pounding. His life was falling apart all about him, and so swiftly, that be barely had enough time to collect the pieces. The pain he was experiencing was not making it any easier. What was the emperor to do now? The kraken was the castle's main defense. Without Ketea, absolutely anyone could breach his palace. Then again, it didn't matter. Lysander knew that the outsiders already had.

"Lysander..." Ceto began.

"I am going to speak with the prisoner," Lysander interjected, "you will go check on Jira."

"Her name is not Jira..." the priestess protested.

Lysander only snorted at Ceto in disgust, and quickly swam out of his study.

* * *

As soon as Hali had entered the Murken palace, she had sent Merrick a Tide Tiding, inquiring of their whereabouts. Her cousin had immediately answered her message. Merrick said that they had stuck to their earlier plan to make a right at every corridor. Hali's group had only made three right turns so far. The Guardian should be able to catch up with them in no time, at all. When Hali turned that last right corner, she sighed in relief, grateful that they were all safe, and waiting for her. Xavier did not wait another moment for her to reach them. Instead, Xavier swam to her, and pulled her into the tightest embrace Hali had ever received. She smiled in spite of herself when Xavier kissed first her face, and then her lips.

"You're safe," Xavier whispered in her ear, "I was worried."

"I'm fine," Hali ran her hand along her fiancée's cheek, "I promised you that I'd be fine. Now, let me go,so that I may breathe again."

Xavier did as Hali commanded. When she had taken a few deep breaths, he grabbed her by the hand, and they swam the rest of the way to the waiting group. When they finally reached Merrick and the others, Hali noticed that Serene was regarding her darkly. She assumed the girl's attitude was a direct result of Xavier's passionate greeting. Hali smiled, and offered her little cousin a hug, and Serene returned, albeit somewhat unwillingly.

Merrick was the next to address Hali with a warm hug, "I'm glad you're all right, Hali."

Tip, Dash and Sebastian all murmured their agreement. Hali smiled thankfully at her friends.

"What's the plan?" Merrick asked.

"Send Cricket a message, Merrick," Hali answered, "I'd do it myself, but I'm a little worn out form my battle with the kraken."

"Of course," Merrick said gently.

"Hali?" Serene asked, her voice in awe.

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Did you kill the kraken?"

"No," Hali told the girl, "I did something even better. Something that might help us later on."

"Like what?" Serene asked again.

"I'll tell you later Serene," Hali exhaled, "I'm feeling a little dizzy."

Upon hearing this, Xavier immediately took Hali back into his arms. The Guardian knew that Xavier would never allow any harm to come to her. She rested her head against Xavier's shoulder, grateful for his concern. Hali had not quite realized, until now, just how much energy she had expended, while fighting off Ketea.

"Perhaps we should let her rest for a moment?" Xavier directed at Merrick.

Hali was annoyed. What would possess her fiancée to speak like she wasn't even in the same room as him?

"We can't stop now," Hali argued, "we haven't got that kind of time. We _need_ to find Adelaide."

"You're right, Hali," Xavier sighed in defeat, "you always are."

Merrick smiled at the couple and asked, "What should I tell Cricket in the Tide Tiding?"

"Tell her," Hali began, "that we've found a way into the palace, and ask her to tell us where she is being held. We can find her, that way."

Merrick brought his finger to his lips. His fingertip glowed golden for a moment, when a small bubble began to form. Merrick spoke softly into the bubble, and when his message was finished, the bubble detached itself form his finger, and began to drift away. The Tide Tiding was searching for Cricket.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Well, fans, this was a medium sized update for all of you. I hope you like it. Form this point on, the story should become irresistibly interesting. No really, if you aren't hooked yet, you will be. Just you watch!

Oh, no! The Blood moon is quickly approaching. What's going to happen to poor Adelaide? Will she be rescued in time? What did Ladon mean when he said, "Good, then I'll leave you to handle it."? Read on to find out!

In case you guys don't remember, Phorcys is the name of Lysander's father.

In Olympic news, the United States is still leading the Olympic medal count, with twenty one medals! 6 gold. 6 silver, and 9 bronze! Go team USA!

I love you. I honestly love you,

xJadeRainx


	71. Chapter 71: A Game Gone Wrong

What else could go wrong for Lysander? Ever since the very moment he returned to Murk, the emperor's life had been riddled with problems. That very same night, he had brought Jira to his kingdom, the child came down with a high fever jeopardizing the entire Blood Moon ritual. There was nothing that could be done to heal, Jira. Both he and Ceto simply had to wait and see if the fever would pass on it's own. The waiting, was by far the worst thing Lysander had ever experienced in his lifetime. When he had first kidnapped little Jira from Atlantica, he felt nothing. Lysander had quite literally robbed the sleeping child from her cradle. He held her in his arms and felt absolutely nothing. Then, along with the Murken guards, they began their journey to their homewaters, and that was when the emperor's feelings began to develop. At first, it was just a warming, tingling sensation. He could not even identify what the sensations were at first, and seeing as the feelings would dissipate quickly, Lysander went unconcerned. But the waiting! Lysander beseeched the Ancients for days, asking them to cure Jira's fever. But did they answer him? No. And then, as the days slipped by, Lysander found himself, secretly hoping the fever would outlast the Blood Moon. He saw himself in her. Jira was a halfling, like himself. There was... a connection. As soon as Lysander had come to terms with that realization, Jira's fever suddenly broke. He was devastated, but the emperor's troubles did not end there. Ceto informed him that it was _he_, Lysander, who would be required to slit the throat of a child he had become so secretively fond of. He couldn't admit as much, but Ceto was right all along. Lysander had become attached. Attached? Murkens never grow attached to anything, or anyone. Why him? Why? But still, there was more! The Atlanticans had caught up to him, faster than Lysander ever imagined they would. They truly must have been determined to get to Jira, and quickly. How had they known about the Blood Moon ceremony? It was almost as if they could see into the future, and that was a power the emperor wasn't aware that Atlanticans possessed. And Crickēta! She was captured by the very guards who saw Lysander 'murder' her. What an embarrassment! Crickēta was so stubborn, awful, and argumentative. She had kissed him for Ancients' Cause! Lysander had never had intimate contact with anyone before, not even so much as a handshake. Needless to say, Crickēta's behavior left the emperor feeling rattled, and his nerves were a wreck. Even worse, Lysander could not get thoughts of the prisoner to leave his head. He had known this girl for only half a day, and still she plagued his every thought. Why? But could he possibly let these frustrations show? No, of course he couldn't, because somehow, Crickēta's friends found a way to breach his castle, and kill the kraken. Ketea was already dead. Jira would loose her life at moonrise. All Lysander really wanted to do at the moment, was lie down and die. But the emperor could not do that. He had an entire kingdom full of subjects to serve, and they didn't want him. His people wanted Tiamat. Tiamat, the very woman who killed Phorcys, his own father. Lysander was expected to return _that_ woman from the dead?

Lysander had so many thoughts coursing through his brain, that the long swim to the dungeon appeared very short indeed. He paused just outside the dungeon door. Where were the guards? His warriors were supposed to be posted outside the dungeon. Oh well. Lysander did not have the time or energy to worry about that now. Suddenly, a lump formed in his throat. Lysander was reluctant to go in there. The emperor was frightened to face the girl who was causing these feeling of self conflict within himself. Why should Crickēta have such an effect on him, anyway? Lysander let out a heavy sigh, and forcefully pushed open the door to the dungeon.

The first thing the emperor noticed, as he entered the room, was the tray of food he had ordered for Crickēta lay virtually untouched. Crickēta lay on the floor of her cell, sleeping. She looked peaceful. Crickēta was his prisoner. She was cooped up in a small, uncomfortable dungeon cell, and still she looked peaceful. This girl was abnormal at best.

"Wake up," Lysander spoke loudly.

Crickēta stirred for a moment, before finally waking up with a groan. Lysander watched her with interest as she sat up, rubbing her blue eyes. She looked beautiful, and Lysander thought that for a moment, his heart stopped. What in Ancients Cause was that about? What was going on with his body lately? First the headaches, and now his heart was skipping beats? Was he dieing?

"That was extremely rude," Crickēta remarked with a yawn.

"You haven't eaten," Lysander said a little more gently, "why?"

"I have already told you," the mermaid began plainly, "I don't want anything that comes from a thief."

"I am not a thief!" roared the emperor.

"Could have fooled me," Crickēta shrugged.

"Never shrug your shoulders in front of an emperor," Lysander warned, "it isn't proper."

Instead of responding with one of her infamous smart mouth replies, Crickēta simply stuck her little, pink tongue at him. Lysander's mouth hung open in a very undignified fashion. Didn't Atlanticans' have manners? What did they learn in tide school?

"Catfish got your tongue?" winked the Atlantican mermaid.

Lysander wasn't angry at Crickēta's remark nor was he upset. He was simply... shocked. So shocked in fact, that the emperor found himself unable to respond to the girl at all.

"Why exactly are you here, Emperor?" the mermaid questioned, sounding rather annoyed.

"You're friends..."

"I don't know where they are, and that's the truth," Crickēta added with a smirk.

"They killed my karken," Lysander angrily informed.

"Really?" Crickēta gasped in mock horror, "well, you kidnapped our baby, and are holding me prisoner in a slimy, algae corroded dungeon! I'd call that even."

Lysander quickly swam towards the Atlantican's cell, and tightly gripped on to the bars, his knuckles turning white, as a result. Crickēta simply stared back at him, with steely blue eyes. Was this girl afraid of anything, anything at all?

"I will find them, Crickēta."

The mermaid smiled to herself, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. You seem to be losing control of the situation here, Emperor."

When Crickēta finished her dialog, she playfully touched the end of Lysander's nose. The emperor's face flushed immediately. What kind of games was this girl playing with him?

"You're blushing," she remarked.

"No, I am not."

"Yes, you are. You're face is red, you see."

"Red from anger," growled Lysander.

"Are we certain about that, Lysander?" Crickēta ran a slender finger along his pectoral muscles as she spoke.

Lysander's heart began to pound in his chest, harder and faster than he had ever felt before, "S-stop that, you infernal girl!"

"Aren't you a tad bit old to still be afraid of girls, Lysander," Crickēta breathed, seductively rubbing the emperor's arms.

Lysander backed away from her cell immediately. What was she doing? What was Crickēta thinking, acting in this way? Had she gone mad during her confinement? Wait. Why was he even there? What was his purpose of coming to see the prisoner? Lysander couldn't remember anymore. Oh, Ancients help him!

"Something wrong, Emperor," Crickēta began, " you still haven't told me what you want."

"It is.. I just..." Lysander's tongue tripped over his words, "I have to go."

"So soon?" Crickēta grinned, "Surely, you could..."

Lysander interrupted her sadistic, little speech, "what _is_ that noise?"

* * *

"What noise?" Cricket was genuinely confused.

She had Lysander exactly where she wanted him. Her little game was working, that much she could tell. Cricket didn't enjoy touching his muscular form, or speaking so flirtatiously with him. Of course she didn't! It was just a game. It was! Cricket was so caught up in her self justifications, that she almost didn't recognize the sound at all, but there it was, a high pitched tone. Why did it sound so familiar?

"That ringing noise," the emperor began, scanning the room with his eyes.

Crickets face fell immediately. She knew that sound, now. It was a Tide Tiding. Sure enough, she spotted a dainty bubble, gliding peacefully towards her. Oh no. This could ruin everything. What was she supposed to do now?

'Okay, okay,' Cricket thought to herself, 'I can simply ignore the Tide Tiding.'

Maybe then, Lysander wouldn't even notice the bubble, at was not the case, for the bubble floated right past the emperor's face, making its way towards Cricket.

"It's singing," Lysander said thoughtfully, as he reached his hand out towards the bubble.

Defying all physics, the Tide Tiding performed amazing acrobatics, avoiding Lysander's touch completely. No, matter, how many times the Emperor of Murk attempted to pot that bubble, it simply found a way to escape him.

"Interesting," Lysander breathed, "what magic is this, Crickēta?"

"It's not magic. It's just a bubble, obviously," Cricket held her breath, and grabbed tightly to the bars of her cell. Every fiber of her being was compelling her to pop that bubble, but she wasn't going to do it. She wasn't!

"I think it is," Lysander replied, staring her down.

"Nope," Cricket exhaled heavily. Avoiding the urge to pop the bubble was becoming more difficult by the minute.

"Are you afraid of the bubble, Crickēta?" Lysander asked with interest.

"Pfft, no," whimpered the mermaid, as she squeezed her eyes shut, tightly as she could.

"Then why are you behaving so strangely?"

When Cricket did not answer his question, the emperor continued, "If it isn't magic, then why wasn't I able to pop the damned thing?"

"Maybe you didn't try hard enough," by this time, Cricket was breathing heavily. The bubble was beginning to take its toll.

"Can you pop it, Crickēta?"

'Dammit!' Cricket thought to herself, 'why did Lysander have to be so smart? Smart and handsome. Wait a minute, Cricket. He's not handsome! He's a thief. Thief's aren't handsome. Yeah, that's right...'

"Crickēta," Lysander smiled at her, "I asked you a question."

"Wasn't listening," panted Cricket.

"Pop the bubble, Crickēta."

"No."

"Do as I say," Lysander calmly ordered.

Finally, the Tide Tiding was no more than a few inches away from Cricket's nose. Her insides were literally burning, from the effort of restraining herself. Cricket sighed. She couldn't possibly keep this up much longer. Stupid Tide Tiding! With one last, heavy exhale, the mermaid extended her pointer finger, and dismally poked at the bubble, and it ruptured instantly.


	72. Chapter 72: The Warning

Cricket immediately turned her head away from the sound of her brother's voice issuing from the ruptured Tide Tiding. For some strange reason, she couldn't bear to look Lysander in the eyes, at that exact moment in time. Why did his opinion of her matter so much to Cricket, anyway?

"Cricket," Merrick's voice began, "we've breached the Murken castle. We entered through the catacombs, and were nearly eaten by a kraken, but don't worry. Hali took care of it. Tell us where you are, if you don't know, then at least tell us what you see. We're coming to get you."

The mermaid kept her face turned away from her captor. Cricket couldn't possibly face him. She didn't want to face him. Never before had she ever felt hatred for another living being. Cricket did now. She hated Lysander, Emperor of Murk. Everything that had happened to her family these last few weeks, was all his fault. Everything.

"What was that, Crickēta?" Lysander asked softly.

What should Cricket do? Lie to him? He already knew that the others had infiltrated his castle. Besides, it wasn't like the emperor was going to believe a single word she said now, anyway. cricket pressed her forehead against the spaces between the cell bars, and cast her eyes downward.

"It's called a Tide Tiding," the Atlantican sighed, "it's how my family communicates with each other from long distances."

"How very interesting," Lysander mused, "send them a reply."

Cricket shook her head dismally. She had lost the upper hand in her game so quickly. Cricket had grown far too over confidant. Now, it was the emperor who held all the cards. But still, she had one last bit of luck on her side. Cricket was immune to Lysander's spells, for whatever reason. He couldn't take away her free will.

"No," Cricket replied flatly.

"Crickēta, look at me," it was a gentle order.

She didn't want to. Oh, how she didn't want to, but some invisible force drove her to meet Lysander's gaze. As she looked upon him, Cricket was taken aback. There were so many emotions swirling around in the emperor's deep set, amber eyes, that she couldn't even name them all. That came as a surprise to Cricket. She had always been such a good judge of character. Why was Lysander such a tough shell to crack? What made him so special, and why couldn't she drive thoughts of the emperor out of her head? This was all so frustrating.

"Even if you don't tell me," Lysander began, "I'll find them. They can't hide from me in my own home."

"Their leader is very crafty. She can find a way out of any situation, no matter how bleak it may appear. She's the one who killed Tiamat, you know."

"I'll send every last warrior I have after them," the emperor said calmly.

"So?" cricket snorted, "If Hali could singlehandedly kill a fearsome kraken, a few measly guards shouldn't pose a problem. She could pick them off without even breaking a nail."

Lysander sighed heavily, "All right, Crickēta. If this is the way you want it... fine. I'll return to deal with you later."

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" the mermaid hissed.

Lysander only regarded her with eyes, swarming with emotion. Once again, Cricket found herself unable to read him. After staring her down for about half a second, the emperor silently turned and swam out of the dungeon. When he was well out of sight, Cricket again sank to the sandy dungeon floor, burying her face in her hands. The, she suddenly looked up. Cricket had to warn them. She remembered her mother's instructions, and brought a finger up to her lips. When her finger tip began to glow, Cricket spoke directly into the quickly forming bubble.

"They're coming. Be careful," she whispered.

The Tide Tiding easily detached itself from her finger, searching for its intended recipients.

* * *

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Merrick huffed grumpily, "Just stay here and wait until she answers our message?"

"Cricket's not going to answer it," Xavier shook his head.

"And how would you know that?" asked Merrick.

"Because if she were, she would have done so already."

Hali rolled her eyes at the two men arguing before her. It honestly looked as if the two of them were just beginning to get along. Now, suddenly her cousin and her fiancée were going at each others throats again. They were probably battling it out, to determine which one of them was the alpha male. Didn't the poor fools know that there was no alpha male? There was only Alpha Hali. Case closed.

"I think Xavier's right," the Guardian had to admit. Cricket was about as stubborn as the come, probably even more stubborn than she was.

"But we can't just sit here and wait!" shrieked Merrick.

Hali understood why her older cousin was so on edge. None of them had gotten any sleep in recent memory, and they were all worried about poor, little Adelaide, but Merrick had the added trouble of worrying over his youngest sister. With Merrick being so overprotective to begin with, well, he was quickly reaching the end of his rope.

"Please keep your voice down, Merrick," Hali warned, "Murkens are swarming all over this place."

"Sorry," Merrick sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "but still, I... I just can't wait any longer. I have to do something."

"Um, guys..." Serene began, but was hastily cut off.

"Not now, Serene," growled Merrick.

The little mermaid became terribly annoyed, and glared at her stupid, always angry cousin, "I have something to say!"

"Hush, Serene," Hali brought herself down to the child's level, "Go ahead and speak, but make it quick, and keep your voice low."

"Thanks, Hali," Serene added with a 'humpf', that was obviously directed towards Merrick, "but we don't _have_ to wait."

"We don't?" Dash questioned.

"No," Serene maintained, "If we just send another message, than we can _follow_ it. The bubble will find Cricket for us."

The adults all smacked their heads in unison. They had been outsmarted by a child, who only just started Tide School last year.

"Huh," Hali grunted in disbelief.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Merrick exhaled.

"Because you're not as smart as me," answered Serene.

"It was a rhetorical question, Serene," whined Merrick, "do you even know what 'rhetorical' means?"

"Just because I don't understand big words, doesn't mean that I'm stupid, Merrick!"

"Guys, please, please, keep your voices down," Hali begged.

"'Dat's righ', mon," Sebastian reprimanded, 'Merrick, ya know betta than to argue wid a child. What would ya mudder say?"

"I'm a big girl," Serene grumbled under her breath.

"Wait a minute," Hali's ears picked up on a faint ringing sound, "is that a..."

"Tide Tiding?" Merrick finished, "Yes, it is. Look."

"I can't believe she actually answered us," whispered Xavier.

"Me neither," agreed Merrick.

Soon enough, the group spotted a bubble, humming a high pitched tune. It was floating directly towards Hali. The Guardian didn't even wait for the bubble to call to her. Hali swam quickly to the Tide Tiding, and popped it with her pointer finger. Really, she hadn't popped so many air bubbles since she was a child.

The bubble spoke, "They're coming. Be careful."

"Who's coming?" whimpered young Serene.

"It's a warning," Hali sighed, thinking, "the Murkens are probably on our tails by now. We're going to have to move form this spot, and soon."

"I said that a long time ago," Merrick growled, "seriously, no one ever listens to me."

"Join the club," Serene snapped back at him.

"Stop it," ordered Sebastian, "stop it, now."

"We should split up," Xavier looked up at Hali.

"Yes, we should," Hali mused, "Sebastian, Tip, Dash, I want you all to head back to the catacombs. It's dark, so you'll be able to hide there. Besides, you'll also have Ketea to protect you, if you guys run into trouble."

Tip intervened angrily, "Adventures slash explorers don't hide from danger, fishgirl. We're coming with you."

"No you're not," Hali sighed, "I'm sorry, you guys, but I just don't need your help right now. go to the catacombs."

Tips opened his mouth to argue with the guardian again, but Dash pressed his beak together, "Come on, Pal. Let's go."

As their three animal companions left for Murk's underwater catacombs, Hali addressed the others, "Merrick and Serene, you can go ahead and take that corridor," Hali pointed to the hall immediately at their right hand side, "send me a Tide Tiding if you run into trouble. Xavier and I will take the next corridor on the right. Remember, always choose the right turn. We'll never find our way out of here otherwise."

"But I want to go with you and Xavier," sniffed Serene.

"Sorry, sweetie," Hali frowned, "but you're sticking with Merrick. Listen to what he says, okay?"

Serene's lip quivered for a moment, but she hurriedly swam over to Xavier, and hugged him. The scorned little mermaid purposefully ignored Hali, however, and returned to Merrick. Serene grudgingly took her older cousin by the hand, squeezing tightly, from both fear, and irritation. Merrick only shrugged at Hali, before quietly swimming away, gliding through the watery corridor, exactly as Hali had instructed.

"Come on," Hali sighed, taking Xavier's large hand in hers, "we have to get going now, too."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Well, it's been a couple days, but here's an update. Oh please, do keep reading. The story should be winding down soon, or at least I HOPE it will. It's been snowing like crazy where I live, these last few days. Schools were sent home on an early dismissal on Tuesday, and were canceled all Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday too! Lucky brats, huh? Really, we're expected to get over a foot of snow tomorrow! And that's not even including all the snow that's already covering the ground. Ember and I should try to make another snowman. Maybe this time she won't try and melt poor Frosty to death.

So, if you are interested in another update in the Olympic medal count, the United States is still in the lead with 32 medals, 8 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze. Germany is still in second with 26 medals, and Norway remains in third with 19n medals. Go team USA!

Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream,

xJadeRainx


	73. Chapter 73: What's This Feeling?

This was proving to be the longest day of Lysander's life. There was still about twelve hours left before the Blood Moon would finally rise. Only, it seemed to the emperor that his morning would never end. Lysander was far beyond tired. He hadn't gotten more than a wink of sleep since he returned to Murk. Bringing Jira to his kingdom, in order to preform the Blood Moon ceremony, was supposed to erase all of the emperor's problems. Quite the contrary, though, issue after issue had piled high on Lysander's shoulders. He felt as if he were carrying the weight of a Blue Whale upon his back. The emperor needed to apprehend the Atlantican intruders immediately. The last thing Lysander needed today, was a bunch of outsiders roaming about his castle, searching for trouble. Furthermore, what was he to do about Crickēta? The emperor definitely needed to get rid of her too, but Lysander knew he could never bring himself to harm the girl. And where were his guards? The emperor couldn't find his warriors anywhere, which was suspicious to say the least.

As Lysander continued to swim through the corridors, searching for his guards, his head was unexpectedly filled with more thoughts of Crickēta. What was it about that girl that made her so difficult to forget? The emperor hadn't known the Atlantican for more than twenty four hours yet, still, Lysander thought about her constantly. When he had first laid eyes on Crickēta he was immediately stricken with how beautiful she was, but that was another issue entirely. Lysander was far more concerned with how this particular mermaid made him feel. Upon speaking with the girl, Lysander was surprised to find how bold her speech was, and it seemed as if Crickēta held no fears whatsoever. The emperor quickly learned that the girl he was holding prisoner was funny, intelligent, but above all, Crickēta was brave. Lysander was curious. In all his years, he never really had an opportunity to become familiar with another being, for anyone he had ever known shunned him. Including of course, Phorcys. Only, Crickēta was different. She asked him questions. She was interested in Lysander's own thoughts, and for reasons the emperor could not understand, his feelings. Then, Crickēta had gone and done something truly amazing. She kissed him, and aside from Lysander's initial reaction, which was unadulterated terror, he ... liked it. It confused him at first, that feeling, and it drove him away, but he did return. The emperor needed to figure things out, to solve the puzzle inside him, so he went back to visit Crickēta in the dungeon. That was when he had almost kissed her again, but the difference was, Lysander was prepared for it. Until, that was, Ceto interrupted them.

Ceto. The priestess had been an increasing cause of distress for the emperor these last few days. Lysander had literally spent years, hoping Ceto would notice him, no, he had hoped Ceto would come to accept him overtime. After all, they had known each other since childhood, but Ceto proved to be like anyone else in Lysander's life, making minimal eye contact, and shrinking from his touch as if he caused physical pain. The priestess also seemed to fight him, or criticize him on every decision he had ever made as Emperor of Murk. Not only was that disrespectful, but it was hurtful. And where was Ceto? Ceto, and Ladon and his guards? It felt almost as if they were all avoiding him, for some reason.

Suddenly, Lysander stopped swimming. The emperor had come into a sort of dizzy spell. His head was still spinning, his mind was still aching, his heart was still racing, and the weight on his shoulders was settling heavier than ever. Simply put, Lysander felt unwell. How much longer could he be expected to put up with this kind of pain? Lysander sighed deeply, and ran his fingers through his mass of black hair. The emperor needed to lie down. Of course, he could only rest for a few moments. Lysander could not afford to have his people view him as lazy, after all, it was only the middle of the day.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cricket laid curled into a scaly ball along the floor of her dungeon cell. Hali and Merrick had been sending the girl Tide Tidings like crazy, although Cricket learned the hard way, that she could not ignore the strong calls of the messages, she could still refuse to answer them. Cricket was determined to find a way out of this cell block on her own. Cricket uncurled herself from her ball, and sat upright in the sand. She had wanted to take another quick nap, but that attempt went unsuccessful. Why? Stupid Lysander, that's why. Cricket found it difficult to stop thinking about him. The emperor pretended to be so hard, so unfeeling, all the time, but Cricket could see right through that. She saw the pain in his amber colored eyes, when Lysander spoke about the mother he never knew, and about the father who never showed him any affection. And then there was the matter of the chills. Whenever Cricket looked at him, her body was suddenly seized by chills, but not the bad kind of chills. No, these chills made her feel... good. Her heart palpitated. Her body temperature rose. Then, of course, her heart fluttered whenever he addressed her by the nickname Crickēta. It was almost as if... no, that couldn't possibly be the case. Cricket remember asking Attina, how her mother knew she fell in love with her father. Attina had described all of Cricket's current symptoms, a racing heart, flushing cheeks, chills or tingles. No, no, no, that couldn't be. Lysander and his people had been a constant source of pain to both her family, and her kingdom. She couldn't love him. She didn't love him. But why had she felt so disappointed, when that awful priestess Ceto interrupted that second kiss, and why had Cricket been so ready to defend the emperor? She barely knew him!

Cricket buried her face in her hands, for what seemed like the hundredth time today. She didn't know what to do. Adelaide was in ever present danger, her brother, her cousins, and her friends were roaming about a palace, with enemies they knew virtually nothing about, and Cricket was locked up in a cell, unable to do anything to help. Even worse, the little mermaid had no idea what Lysander meant, when he said that he would 'deal with her later'. Lysander wouldn't hurt her. Would he?

* * *

The moment Lysander laid himself down in his giant clam shell bed, and closed his eyes, he experienced a mini anxiety attack. What was the first thing Lysander saw, when he shut his lids tight? Crickēta's face, or more specifically, her hypnotic blue eyes. Lysander buried his face between his seaweed pillows. What was wrong with him lately? The emperor needed to concentrate on his task at hand, but how could he do that in his current state? Lysander rolled over on his side, hoping that he might find the position more comfortable. Unfortunately, that was not the case, for his brain replayed for him, a conversation the emperor once held with Crickēta.

_"What did you do to Adelaide?" Crickēta roared at him._

_"Little Jira is safe for the time being," he answered, "where are the others?"_

_"Jira? Please," Crickēta pleaded, "just give Adelaide back to us. She's only a baby. She belongs with her family."_

Lysander could tell how much Crickēta cared for the child. Not that he could blame her, for that matter. Lysander had found that Jira was quite the easy person to love. The emperor immediately slapped his forehead, and ran his hand roughly along the side of his face. So, he finally admitted it to himself. Lysander loved that baby. The Blood Moon ceremony would surely kill Lysander on the inside. He was certain of it.

The emperor rose from his bed with a heavy sigh. His much looked forward to 'rest', was anything but. What was the point in staying in bed any longer? There was still so much work that remained, and the emperor still needed to locate Ceto and practice that all important cutting technique. The idea literally made Lysander sick to his stomach, but what else could he do? Lysander would go to find Ceto, but first he would pay a visit to the nursery, and say his goodbyes to little Jira.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Well, let me apologize for the lack of dialog in this chapter, but I didn't feel that it was necessary, because we were taking a closer look into the minds of Cricket and Lysander. Hmmm... a couple of interesting revelations her, huh? I wonder how those two are going to continue to develop? Don't worry, the next chapter is going to be really exciting!

I guess that I don't really have much more to say, except that it won't stop snowing! Snow, snow everywhere! Falling form the sky, covering the ground, dusting the trees.... At lease we haven't experienced any killer ice storms this winter. Seriously, ice storms are really bad. Bad and deadly.

Three cheers for the final Olympic medal count! The United States ended with the most overall medals, with 37! 9 gold, 15 silver, and 13 bronze. Germany ended with 30, and Canada ended with 26! Congratulations to all the Olympians world wide!

We are the champions, my friends,

xJadeRainx


	74. Chapter 74: A Change of Heart

Lysander was in a gloomy mood, as he swam towards Jira's nursery. With every stroke, the weight on his shoulders multiplied. The emperor really had no idea how he was going to go through with the Blood Moon ritual. It was far to gruesome of a concept... far to painful. Lysander supposed he could place himself under one of his spells. The emperor knew of a chant that would allow him to be present in body, but not in spirit. Oh, well. Lysander shook his head, as if he were clearing his thoughts. He would deal with that later, right now, the emperor only wanted to spend some time with his favorite cousin.

However, when Lysander finally entered the nursery, his gloom was directly replaced with fear. The nursery was empty. Well, it wasn't completely empty; Umi, the nursemaid remained tidying up the area. Lysander's heart was pounding so quickly, he could swear that he actually heard each individual beat. Where had Jira gone? The only person authorized to take the child away from the nursery was Lysander himself. The emperor had made that particular fact deadly clear.

Lysander swam to Umi in a fury, and demanded harshly, "Where is Jira!"

The young nursemaid appeared to be startled by the unexpected outburst, and turned from her work with a start. Umi opened and closed her lips a few times, as if she were about to speak, but no words came forth. Lysander gazed into the ashen face of the poor, frightened slave, and felt terribly ashamed of himself. There Umi was, pale, trembling, and at a loss for words. Why did the emperor always take his frustrations out on the wrong people?

"My apologies," Lysander sighed, "but, Umi, where is Jira? The child was not supposed to leave with anyone other than me."

"I-I'm sorry, Emperor," Umi stammered, "Priestess Ceto took the sacrifice to prepare her for tonight's ceremony. She claimed that it was a direct order from you. P-please spare my life, and take it up with the priestess."

Lysander's mouth hung open, at the cowering mermaid in front of him. What would ever make Umi think he would harm harm her? Was he truly that frightening? The emperor remained silent, backing slowly out of the nursery. He didn't know where Jira was, but he was experiencing some bad vibes, that Lysander didn't like in the least. Why would Ceto go the the nursemaid and falsely claim that he had given orders to take the child away? What was Ceto thinking? One thing was clear though, Lysander needed to find Ceto immediately. The emperor raced down the water corridors, in search of a slave who might know the priestess' whereabouts. Then, Lysander stooped swimming all together. He didn't have this kind of time to waste. far too many things were amiss for his liking, and he needed to get the answers to all his questions as soon as possible. Really, the emperor should have thought of this sooner.

Lysander took a calming breath, closed his eyes, and whispered, "Es meklēju dvēsele Ceto."

The emperor slowly opened his eyes. Lysander knew where the priestess was now... the temple. Ceto had taken Jira to the temple... to prepare his innocent cousin for the Blood Moon ritual. The thought of that alone, made Lysander's pulse quick with dread. Without wasting another precious moment, he made a desperate sprint for the temple.

When Lysander finally reached the temple, he burst through the doors in a seething rage. For the first time, in his eighteen years, the emperor did not concern himself with paying respects to the Ancients. All Lysander cared about at the particular moment, was locating his little Jira.

"Ceto!" Lysander bellowed.

The priestess dropped at item she was carrying with a shriek, and it settled behind the high alter with a thud. Lysander did not get a very good look at whatever Ceto was holding, before she dropped it, but truthfully, he didn't really care. Lysander began looking wildly about the temple, searching for Jira. The emperor soon came to realize that the baby was no where in sight. What was going on here?

"Can I help you, Lysander?" Ceto breathed, when she finally recovered from her shock.

Lysander's first reaction was to laugh at the absurdity of Ceto's question. Ceto wanted to know if she could help him? How utterly ridiculous! However, the emperor repressed his urge to laugh, for the time being. That wasn't going to help him find out what has been happening in his kingdom, recently.

Instead, the emperor slowly swam towards the priestess, a deadly calm about him. The priestess wouldn't betray him willingly. Lysander _knew _that. There was still time for her to redeem herself. Upon reaching Ceto, he took her face in his hands. To the emperor's great disappointment, Ceto winced, and turned her face immediately. Why did she have to go and do that? _Why_? Crickēta hadn't shrunk from his touch. Crickēta hadn't even shrunk away from his kiss! The only person to date, that had no shunned Lysander so cruelly, was Crickēta, his prisoner, and an Atlantican no less. It was at that moment, that Lysander realized his people would never accept him. Never. The Murkens hated Lysander down to the very core of his being. He was different, an outsider, and even worse... Lysander was a halfling. Noting would change that. Nothing would sway the opinion of his people. Even if he were to revive Tiamat's soul, what would happen next? Would his fellow Murkens praise him? No. Thank him? No. Respect him? No. Embrace him? Never. Plain and simply, Lysander would never be good Ceto, or any of the other Murkens. What then, did he owe them? Nothing, Lysander owed his _people_ absolutely nothing.

"Lysander are you well?" Ceto asked, almost as if she were concerned, "You look as if you've seen a ghost."

Lysander couldn't bear any more. Ceto's face... Ceto's voice... he simply couldn't bear any more.

"We had better practice that technique now, Priestess Ceto," the emperor replied coolly.

"What technique?" Ceto asked in confusion.

Lysander laughed incredulously, "The cutting technique, Ceto, for the Blood Moon ceremony!"

"Oh, yes," the priestess laughed nervously, "of course."

The emperor watched Ceto with angry eyes, as she swam towards the sacrificial pedestal, to retrieve the Serriform Star. When she returned, Lysander took the crude instrument from the priestess, and turned it over in his hands, examining it thoroughly. He was determined to get to the bottom of all of this.

"Sit, Ceto," ordered Lysander.

The priestess obeyed, and Lysander gently grabbed her by her thin, pale arm. The emperor was not surprised to see Ceto flinch, no sooner than his his skin and made contact with hers. Lysander was hit with a wave of anger. All these years, Lysander had truly cared for Ceto, but she never even saw him as more than a worthless halfling. For a split second, the image of Crickēta's face flooded his mind, but the emperor quickly shook her visage away. He needed to concentrate. Still holding firmly, Ceto's arm, Lysander pressed the first blade of the Serriform Star against her skin and dug in, blood immediately began to trickle. The priestess let out a whimper, as Lysander moved the blade down the length of her arm. Blood was everywhere, now. Lysander felt sick.

"Move on to the second blade now," panted Ceto, "each of the five blades must be covered with an equal amount of blood."

The emperor was confused. Ceto was hiding something from him. He knew that much, but if she were planning some other scheme, why then would she subject herself to this sort of pain? Was she trying to throw him off course? Was Ladon involved too?

As Lysander moved on to the second blade, he spoke, "Where is Jira, Ceto?"

"W-what?" the priestess was breathing heavily, "She's in the nursery. Where else would the sacrifice be?"

"You're lying," the emperor growled, as he tore at Ceto's skin with the third blade, "I just came from the nursery. Jira isn't there."

"I-I don't know..."

"Enough!" shouted Lysander. Ceto's blood was covering is hands and fingers, now, "Umi told me that you took Jira from the nursery, claiming that I gave such an order. We both know that isn't true."

"The slave is lying to you, Lysander," Ceto whimpered again.

"I don't think she is," the priestess attempted to wriggle away from him, but Lysander expertly increased the pressure on his grip.

"You believe a lowly slave over me!"

"Yes, I do," the emperor nodded, "I don't trust you anymore Ceto."

"You don't trust..."

"Were you plotting against me, with my idiot cousin, Ladon?"

"N-no."

"Stop lying!"

Ceto did not need to answer his little outburst. All it took was one glance at the priestess' horrified face, and Lysander knew the truth.

"You wouldn't have made a good leader," Ceto cast her eyes downward.

Lysander smiled sadly, "I disagree. Now, I want you to tell me, where you have taken Jira."

"I won't," Lysander dug the Star deeply into her skin, and Ceto squealed.

"Is that what you were doing with Ladon in my study? You were plotting against me, Ceto, my closet confidant?"

When Ceto did not reply, he continued, "Why would you do something like that? Were you unaware of my feelings towards you?"

"You're a..."

"Halfling, an outsider... fine," Lysander huffed, "but why Ladon? Why trust him?"

"Because... b-because I am promised to him, and it was my duty to Murk."

Lysander roughly pushed Ceto to the ground, and held her there, "Tell me where Jira is now, or I will kill you, Ceto."

"Ladon has her."

"Why?" the emperor shook her violently, "what does he want with her?"

"He is going to dispose of her... feed her to the sea spiders."

"Thank you, Ceto," Lysander sighed.

"Are you going to let me up now?" the priestess cried.

"No," the emperor shook his head.

"But you promised..."

"I only said that I would not kill you," Lysander narrowed his eyes.

"What are you going to do to me?" sniffed Ceto.

Miegs dziļi

When Lysander finished casting his spell, the priestess fell into an instant sleep. It was the heaviest sleeping spell Lysander had ever cast. As a result, Ceto should slumber for a week, at least. Lysander quickly swam towards the door of the temple. He exited the place of worship, without so much as a second glance in Ceto's direction. There was someplace else Lysander needed to be.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Okay, guys, the plot is about to unfold. Are you ready? So, where do you think Lysander is headed next? I think you know already!

Hey, want to hear something interesting? The earthquake that just struck Chile, shifted the Earth's axis, making our day 1.26 micro seconds (one millionth of a second) shorter. That is so cool!

Wonder Pet, Wonder Pets, we're on our way,

xJadeRainx


	75. Chapter 75: Is This Some Kind of Trap?

Lysander was just outside the dungeon door when he froze, quite fearful to enter. What was he supposed to say, 'I'm dreadfully sorry for imprisoning you, but I've gone and changed my mind now. Let me just unlock your cell, and let's go save Jira!'? How would Crickēta react to that? Surely, Crickēta must harbor nothing but contempt for him. Lysander rested his head against the heavy door for a moment, but then he remembered that little Jira desperately needed their help, and he pushed open the door. Crickēta was sitting, with her back towards him, her tail partially covered by sand. She might have looked peaceful, but Lysander noticed that Crickēta's shoulders bounced up and down periodically. She was sobbing. That simple realization, made Lysander feel as if his heart was bleeding. The emperor buried his face in his hands for a moment, as he did so, Lysander noted that most of Ceto's blood had washed off his hands, and arms, during the swim to the dungeon. There was, however, some of her blood still caked beneath his fingernails. Lysander hoped that Crickēta wouldn't ask him about it.

"Crickēta?" he spoke gently.

* * *

Cricket knew the sound of that voice a little all too well. What did he want with her now? Then, she remembered what the emperor had promised earlier. Lysander was going to 'deal with her'. Well, whatever the brute had planned, there was no way that Cricket was going to make it easy for him. She may be the emperor's prisoner at the moment, but she still had a lot of fight left in her.

The mermaid turned to face her captor, and hissed, "My name is Cricket."

"I think Crickēta suits you better," smiled Lysander.

Cricket's heart gave several little flutters at the mention of the name 'Crickēta', and when Lysander paired it with that dazzling smile of his, she nearly swooned. No, no, she told herself. Her reaction was merely a result of fatigue, and a lack of food. That's all. Cricket sighed. Yes, her self explanation was a logical one, indeed.

"What do you want?" sneered Cricket.

"I... I've come to apologize."

Cricket's mouth hung open in shock. Oh, wait... this was part of some sick joke. She was really going to let him have it now.

"Apologize?" the mermaid snorted, "Is it so you can relieve some of your guilt before you kill me?"

"I'm not going to kill you," the emperor shook is head.

Cricket was thrown for a loop with that one, "But you said you were going to deal with me..."

When Lysander began to swim towards the bars holding her captive, Cricket yelled out, "Stay back!"

The Emperor of Murk, forced himself to a full haul, "Crickēta, please, we don't have much time here... Jira..."

"Jira?" Cricket frowned, "Her name is Adelaide, and what are you planning to do to her!"

"I'm... we're going to rescue her."

Cricket immediately crossed her arms. Did this guy think she was such a gullible idiot? She knew his game! Lysander was trying to lull herself into a false sense of security, so he could gain her trust and _then_ kill her. Haha! Cricket was much too smart for _that_ sort of thing.

"I don't believe you," huffed Cricket, "after all that trouble you went through to bring Adelaide here, all the plans you made to-to _kill_ her... you expect me to believe that you simply changed your mind, and now want to rescue her? What do I look like, a sponge brain?"

Lysander only rolled his amber eyes, and hastily swam towards her, placing his hand over the padlock attached to her cell. What was he doing? Cricket's question was answered momentarily.

_slēgt vaļā_

There was a small blast of light, that blew the lock clear off her cell, and the bars swung open on its hinges. Cricket remained there for a moment, stunned. Maybe Lysander was serious after all.

"W-what did you do that for?" Cricket stuttered in question.

"Because I like you," then Lysander added hurriedly, "as... as a friend, of course."

"Of course," Cricket repeated, but it caused her great pain to do so.

Right... if Merrick were here right now, he'd tell Cricket not to follow him, that it was all part of some hidden agenda. Her older brother would urge her to swim away, in an attempt to escape her captor. In fact, he was probably right... this _was_ a Murken she was dealing with! But there was something in Lysander's eyes, that made him appear so sincere. It would probably break his spirit, if she didn't go with him.

"Do you trust me?" Lysander asked, his amber eyes glinting.

"Oddly enough," breathed Cricket, "I do."

"Good, Crickēta," the Murken nodded, "then follow me."

"Tell me where we're headed first," Cricket demanded stubbornly.

"To the Western Trench," Lysander answered, grabbing her by the hand, "but now, we must go."

Cricket and Lysander had only swam a few feet from the dungeon, in awkward silence, when her ears picked up on the familiar sounds of a Tide Tiding. When she felt a slight tugging urge to pop the bubble floating towards them, Cricket attempted to lift her dominate arm. It was only then she realized that she was still clinging tightly to Lysander's hand. She immediately let go, as both parties blushed slightly.

"Is that you're family again, Crickēta?" Lysander asked.

"Yeah," Cricket groaned, swimming towards the Tide Tiding.

She halfheartedly poked at the bubble, and with a soft blip sound, Merrick's voice filled the hall, "Cricket, please answer me. I must have sent you twenty of these things. Where are you? Are you safe? -Merrick."

Cricket bit her lower lip, becuase she knew the tone her brother was using. His voice was calm, yet full of irritation at the same time. Well, Cricket supposed she deserved as much. After all she did leave all his messages unanswered, and she was well aware of Merrick's tendency to worry.

"Who was that?" Lysander inquired.

"My brother Merrick," frowned Cricket, "and boy does he sound mad..."

"You should answer him."

"Eh," Cricket scrunched up her nose, "maybe later."

"Crickēta," Lysander delivered a piercing stare, and his voice seemed almost reprimanding.

"Oh, fine," Cricket sighed dramatically, turning her back to the Murken.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Sorry, too tired. See you guys tomorrow.

In the still of the night,

xJadeRainx


	76. Chapter 76: Serene Sends a Tide Tiding

Hali had absolutely no clue where she was going. The Murken castle was huge, and what was even worse, there were dozens of corridors only leading them into more corridors. But, still, she quietly lead Xavier through the watery hallways.

Hali sighed in exhaustion , "We've been swimming, and swimming... we could likely be going in circles, and I'd never no."

The Guardian was close to tears at this point, but she felt a little better after Xavier gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Hali smiled, albeit thinly. She really had found Mr. Wonderful, himself.

"I'd tell you to take a quick break," Xavier began, hold her delicate chin in his hand, "but, I know you wouldn't stand for that. So, let's just keep going, making right turns... maybe you should send a message to Merrick... he's probably just as confused as we are, right now."

"I think I had enough Tide Tidings, for right now," Hali rubbed her azure eyes with her fists, "Cricket hasn't answered a single one of my messages."

"Well, we could always follow Serene's advice, and follow it to Cricket."

"Yes, we could," acknowledged, "but we really need to find Adelaide first. She's only a helpless baby... at least Cricket is capable of defending herself."

"Okay," Xavier hushed, pulling his fiancée into his chest, "let's continue on, then. If we don 't kind anything soon, we can try another approach."

Hali sniffled, and nodded against Xavier's shoulder. All she wanted was for this nightmare to end... end happily. Xavier again offered her his hand, and Hali gladly accepted. There wasn't another soul she would rather have by her side, at the moment. The guardian exhaled, and together, she and Xavier, turned the corridor at their immediate right. They swam down the length of the hallway, for some time, when something caught Hali's eye, and she immediately did a double take. Hali and Xavier had just passed a very suspicious looking room.

"It's a nursery," whispered Hali, moving to enter the room.

Xavier hastily grabbed her by the arm, "You can't just go in there."

"Sure, I can," Hali replied adamantly, "just watch me."

Hali wriggled her arm out of her fiancée's grip, and swam into the Murken nursery. Xavier sighed before following Hali into the room. He swore, she never listened to anyone, other than herself, that was.

"It's empty," Hali relayed to Xavier, studying the nursery.

"Hali..."

Ignoring Xavier for the time being, Hali swam towards the empty cradle, to inspect it further. Hali traced the cradle with a slender; it was made from a giant clam shell, of course, but Hali was surprised to see how detailed the craftsmanship really was. Did Murkens treat all their prisoner's so well?

"Adelaide," Hali said thoughtfully.

"You don't know that this room was used for Adelaide's nursery," Xavier reasoned.

"Was?" Hali glared angrily at her fiancée.

"I didn't mean it like that, Hali," Xavier defended himself, "it's just that... the cradle could just as easily been crafted for a Murken bay. You couldn't possibly know..."

"I just have a feeling," Hali sighed, turning away from him.

"All right," soothed Xavier, wrapping a comforting arm around her waist, "what do you want to do, now?"

"I guess it's time to send Merrick that Tide Tiding."

* * *

"Merrick, I'm tired," little Serene whined.

"Sorry, Serene," Merrick tried to sound empathetic, really he did, "but we can't stop. We might get caught by Murkens."

Merrick stopped swimming for a moment, and gathered Serene in his arms. He really had no idea where he was going. For all knew, Merrick could be leading Serene around in circles. All these corridors were far beyond the point of confusing. He wondered if Hali and Xavier were having as hard a time navigating as he was. But that didn't matter. Merrick could afford to let his frustrations show. He needed to appear in control of the situation. Serene was already cranky... if Merrick seemed unsure of himself, it would surely cause the child to become frightened, and that was the last thing any one of them needed right now. Perhaps it was best to send word to Hali, and see how she was getting along. Merrick released his grip on Serene, so that his hands would be free to start a Tide Tiding, but just as he was prepared to do so, his ears picked up on a familiar sound.

"Look, Merrick," Serene pointed, "It's a Tide Tiding!"

"I can see that," he mused, "stay put, Serene. I'll be right back."

Merrick quickly swam to the bubble, drifting gracefully through the water, and popped it in a single moment. He was more than surprised when he realized the message had come from Cricket.

"Hello, stupid, big brother, this is Cricket. I'm safe, and heading towards the Western Trench. Gotta save Adelaide now, later."

Merrick remained where he was, in complete shock. Did Cricket have to be so incredibly rude, all the time? Where in Neptune's waters was this Western Trench, and what did Cricket mean by, 'Gotta save Adelaide now'? Did she somehow escape her imprisonment, and discovered where the Murkens were keeping Adelaide? How had she been able to accomplish all that in such a short time?

The meman shook his head, in an attempt to clear his head. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work. Merrick pushed back his brown hair, and turned to swim back to Serene. Little did he know, that Serene had direly disobeyed his order to 'stay put', and was now hovering at his left hand side. Any other day, he might have reprimanded Serene for not listening to him, but Merrick currently did not have the energy for that sort of thing.

"That Tide Tiding came from Cricket," explained Merrick.

"I know," Serene shrugged, "I heard."

"Of course you did," Merrick grumbled under is breath.

"I think she has a guide," Serene suddenly remarked.

"Who?"

"Cricket, duh!" Serene placed her hands on her hips, "it sounded like Cricket knew exactly where she was going. Where is the Western trench? I don't know, you don't don't know, so why would Cricket know? She doesn't know any more about this place than we do? So that means someone _has_ to be helping her. Geez, grown-ups think their _so_o smart..."

"I think you're right about that, Serene," Merrick said thoughtfully.

"Huh?" the poor girl wasn't expecting that, "You do?"

"Yes, Cricket wouldn't no where she was going, if she didn't have a guide."

Serene looked up at her older cousin, unsure, "Aren't you going to call me 'just a stupid kid'?"

"No, Serene," Merrick began kindly, ruffling her hair, "I've come to learn that sometimes you know exactly what you're talking about."

Serene smiled proudly, "I do! I keep telling everyone but no one ever listens...."

"Shhh, Serene," Merrick warned, and Serene crossed her arms, "listen. I think I hear another Tiding Tiding."

Sure enough, they saw another singing bubble making its way towards them. Merrick wondered if this one was sent by Cricket as well. When he felt the sudden urge to pop the bubble, Merrick swam towards it.

"Why doesn't anyone ever send me Tide Tidings," he heard Serene grumble.

Merrick caught up to he air bubble in no time at all, an poked at it with in pointer finger. This time, it was Hali's voice that filled the corridor.

"Merrick, where are you? I found a nursery that I think Adelaide was being kept... it's empty now. Any word from Cricket, yet? -Hali."

The merman rubbed his face with his hands. Merrick was getting a bad feeling about all this... an empty nursery... he's sister's mysterious guide. He didn't like it. Merrick felt hat he and Serene should reunite with Hali, at least. Merrick lifted pointer finger to his lips, in an effort to start a new Tide Tiding, when he suddenly stopped.

Turning to Serene, he said, "Would you like to do the honors?"

Serene beamed at him, "Really?"

Merrick nodded, and whispered into her ear. Serene motioned that she understood, and slowly brought her finger to her tiny, pink lips. Her fingertip glowed with a golden light for a moment, before a brand new bubble began its formation.

"Hali, Xavier, stay where you are. I'm coming to meet you. -Serene. PS. Merrick's with me too."

When Serene finished speaking, the bubble detached form her finger, and went floating off, in search of its intended recipients. She smiled proudly, at her first successful Tide Tiding.

"Well, little genius," Merrick said, "lead the way."

With that, he grabbed Serene's small hand, and followed the bubble to their cousin Hali and her fiancée. Merrick couldn't help but feel that they didn't have that much time left to loose.


	77. Chapter 77: DOOM!

For most, ping-pong is a leisurely game. For some, it is more than a game; it is a profession. In the ocean, however, ping-pong is a matter to be revered, respected, but most of all feared... It was time for the annual ping-pong tournament between Atlantica and Murk. The most powerful players in the land are selected, and are forced to square off against one another in a no holds barred match of wits, skill, and perseverance.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer cried, "It is now time for us to begin the tournament of all tournaments. For the side of Atlantica, the most skilled ping-pong players have been selected for this two on two match. They are Grisham, and Dalis. For the side of Murk, we have Orchan, and Heru. The stakes are high, and the skill of the players, even higher! One match to twelve points will determine the winner!"

"This sure is nerve racking," screamed Hali, over the roaring crowd.

"I know," replied Cricket, "If we lose this, it could be the end for all of us."

Hali and Cricket looked back. The Murken team had won first serve, and the chance for first blood in this match. Orchan, on the left side, took the first serve, sending a driving smash going straight for Dalis, the opponent diagonal of him. With lightning reflexes, Dalis returned the serve, and the match was officially under way.

"That was close, I didn't know anyone could return a serve that fast. It really goes to show how much training they must go through," Cricket whispered to Hali, trying not to be heard by the once uproarious crowd, which had now fallen silent.

"Shhhhh!" one of the nearby patrons said to Cricket. Cricket slumped in her seat a bit, and continued watching the match. Murk had scored its first point, and tensions were running high.

Orchan, having been on the scoring side, served again, sending yet another smashing blow to Dalis, who skillfully sent it back, this time at the opponent across from him. Heru then sent this shot towards his diagonal opponent Grisham. Grisham lined the ball up in his sights, but narrowly missed the shot, giving yet another point to Murk.

"This seems a bit odd," Hali said aloud, in a confused tone.

"What does?" replied Cricket.

"Well, he really should have been able to hit that shot, but it somehow curved at the last minute. How is that possible?"

"Well, perhaps he put spin on the ball," Cricket replied, as Murk scored another point, making the score three to zero.

"No, something fishy must be going on here. The Atlantican players are very skilled. They wouldn't be losing so easily to Murk. I suspect someone must be using magic."

"But its illegal to use magic during the official ping-pong match!" Cricket shouted, and was abruptly shhhhhed by the members of the crowd adjacent to her.

Hali motioned for Cricket to follow her, leading her down one of the corridors in the coliseum.

"I intend to get to the bottom of this," Hali stated in a confident tone. "Знайдзіце Магія" A light suddenly appeared, leading them down the corridor.

After taking several twists and turns, they found themselves outside of a great door. The magical light which had led them there grew bright for a moment, then disappeared.

"This is it," Hali whispered to Cricket. "Behind this door lies the person who is manipulating that ping-pong match! Are you ready to confront them?"

Cricket nodded, and Hali prepared to cast a spell to open the door.

"Адкрываць!" Hali shouted, as the door flew open, revealing an elderly Murken, standing over a glowing ball.

"That's it, he's using that ball to control the motions of the ping-pong ball," Cricket yelled, as she rushed towards the wicked Murken. Cricket reached for the enchanted ball, left floating in air, and the Murken reeled back to attack with a magical blast.

"Блок!" Hali shouted, casting her spell just in time to save Cricket. The blast Hali blocked was knocked back at the Murken, who then disappeared into a puff of smoke. "That was a close one."

"Yeah," replied Cricket, who smashed the ball, allowing for the match to continue in earnest. "Lets just hope we weren't to late to give our side a fighting chance. Now lets get back and watch the match."

Hali nodded in agreement, and the two headed back to the main arena to see the outcome. By the time they had arrived, Murk was still leading, with the score at 11-3. Hali and Cricket sat down worried, and watched the match continue.

The match carried on, seeing Grisham and Dalis as the winners. Without the magic that had been cast on the Murken team, they turned out to be no match for the powerful Atlantican players. Hali and Cricket looked at each other and smiled, knowing that they had saved the day, and ensuring that the coveted ping-pong trophy would stay in Atlantica for another year, as it was meant to. Very high stakes indeed!

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

And now, I take an aside from the normal story, and perhaps any sense of sanity, to present to you the lost tale of the ping-pong tournament.... of doom!

Possion d'Avirl! ... or April Fish! In France, children often tape a cutout of a paper fish onto an unsuspecting person's back and shout, 'Possion d'Avirl!' Ah, children... *Sigh*

So, this is a little one shot my boyfriend, Orous Ouroboros wrote about my characters a few months back, so I decided to post this here as a little April Fools joke between you and me. HAHA!

Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you,

xJadeRainx


	78. Chapter 78: What Now?

Ladon sneered down at the face of his sickening half sister. The thought of Tiamat having any type of relations with an Atlantican was utterly repulsive, and he might not have believed the fact, yet the proof herself was held in his very arms, and staring him in the face. Ladon hated this particular halfling, even more so than the bumbling Lysander. Tiamat had once possessed an incredible power, yet he, Ladon, did not. The Ancients had cruelly cursed him, refusing to bestow upon him even an ounce of magic. All merfolk have magic. _All _merfolk! Then, rubbing sea salt into his wounds, this little bundle of contempt, from the outside world, was born from _his_ mother. The worst of all this was the outsider had the greatest power level any Murken had ever seen. Did the Ancients enjoy causing him such undue distress? Ladon narrowed his eyes in pure hatred of this tiny being. No matter, though. All his unfair torment would end tonight.

"It's funny how plans change, isn't it, halfling," Ladon growled at the cooing brat.

The halfling made a few annoying, gurgling sounds that Ladon could not understand how anyone could find endearing.

"I only need a small sample of your blood. As soon as the Blood Moon rises, I can collect your blood, and then the sea spiders can have you."

Indeed, dozens of the massive, eight legged creatures were crawling about the Western Trench, snapping their jaws in anticipation. Ladon could tell they were hungry. In fact, these spiders were intentionally starved, so that they might be excessively aggressive with Murk's enemies. Surely, the spiders would have overtaken Ladon in their state of famine, but Ceto had given him a charmed amulet that would keep the savage things at bay. The Murken smirked evilly to himself. Once he tossed the tiny outsider into the trench, the spiders would tare her apart, leaving virtually nothing behind. Oh, how Ladon desired nothing more than to watch!

"The moon will rise shortly," Ladon spoke mostly to himself.

The Murken glanced behind his shoulder for a moment. Where was Ceto? What was keeping her so long? The priestess was due to join him an hour ago.

* * *

In the Murken nursery, Hali buried her face in the palms of her hands. All she wanted, more than anything, was to recover poor Adelaide, and return to Atlantica as soon as possible. The Guardian had felt a glimmer of hope when she had accidentally stumbled across the child's nursery, only to find the room completely bereft of life, dashing her spirits to an all time low. Hali was vaguely aware of Xavier, who rested a comforting hand on her bare shoulder, but he wasn't helping. Nothing was going to make Hali feel better, until they brought Adelaide back, safe and sound to her waiting and worried family.

Then suddenly, Hali's ears caught a faint, but familiar sound. As she stopped to listen, the Guardian realized that the sound was growing louder, which could only mean one thing: someone had sent her a Tide Tiding, and it was coming towards her, and quickly too.

Before Hali had time to give this a second thought, a bubble appeared at the nursery door. It easily glided through the room, making its way to Hali, the bubble's intended target. Right on cue, Hali felt a tugging within herself to pop the Tide Tiding, so she met the bubble halfway, and pooped it directly.

The bubble spoke, "Hali, Xavier, stay where you are. I'm coming to meet you. -Serene. PS. Merrick's with me too."

"Hey, Serene sent us a Tide Tiding!" Xavier said adoringly.

If Hali had the energy, she would have glared at her fiancé. Adelaide was still missing, he wasn't supposed to sound so happy! But that Serene... she held some sort of charming power over Xavier. He was wrapped around her little finger, and Hali was far to impressed by that to feel jealous.

"Come on," Hali siged, taking Xavier by one muscular arm, "let's go find them."

"No, Hali," Xavier shook his head.

Hali remained stunned for a moment. Did he just tell her 'no'? Now, that wasn't allowed. She was a princess for goodness sakes!

"I said," Hali began as menacingly as she could, "let's go."

Xavier crossed his arms, "What did Serene's message say, Hali?"

"But... I," Hali squeaked, "Do you really expect me to listen to the command of a six year old?"

"In this case I do."

"Funny," Hali sighed, rolling her eyes for good measure, "now come on before... hey!"

Xavier had scooped Hali into his strong arms, and clearly had no intention of letting her go anytime soon. Hali struggled for a moment, attempting, for once, to find a way out of his hold. However, the girl soon realized that it was a lost cause, and laid her face against Xavier's broad shoulder. She was his prisoner, for the time being.

"I just hate being told what to do," Hali whispered into his shoulder.

"I know," Xavier answered, although his fiancée could detect a slight chuckle in his voice.

Before long, a pair of voices could be heard down the length of one of the many, ever-winding corridors. Hali's initial reaction was that of alarm, but as the voice drew nearer, she relaxed, recognizing the voices to belong to none other than her own cousins.

"Hali, Hali," Serene cried excitedly, as the two merfolk entered the room, "I sent a Tide Tiding all by myself, and look, we found you!"

"Hush, Serene," Merrick reproached, "How many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down? Do you want the Murkens to discover us?"

"No," Serene deflated a bit.

"Oh, stop," Xavier came to Serene's rescue, "she didn't mean any harm."

"Yeah," Serene chimed in, "I didn't mean any harm!"

Before Hali could even blink, Serene had already zoomed into Xavier's arms. The Guardian shook her head in amusement. For, once upon a time, it was _she_ who had been the girl's favorite person.

"What's going on, Merrick?" Hali abruptly asked her older cousin.

"Cricket sent us a message."

"She did?"

"Yes," Merrick affirmed, "she's headed someplace called the Western Trench. I believe that she is being lead by a personal guide."

"A guide?" Hali asked in surprise, "What makes you think that?"

"Well, I..."

At this, Merrick's words were forced to trail off, because Serene had just produced the most aggravated sound in her little throat.

"Okay, fine," admitted Merrick, "Serene figured out that Cricket probably has a guide with her."

"Really?" Xavier asked, quite proud of the girl who was hanging on tightly to his biceps.

"Really," answered Serene.

Hali raised an eyebrow at the pair, but then her memory was hit with a jolt of realization.

"Didn't we see a trench on our way into the Murken Palace?" Hali inquired of the group.

"Yes," Xavier answered, "and I think it was the last place..."

"That we saw Cricket!" finished Serene.

"That's right, ma petite!" Xavier beamed, squeezing Serene into a hug, and the girl didn't mind in the least.

"Let's go to the trench and find Cricket, then," Hali ordered the group.

"We should send her a Tide Tiding first," Merrick added.

Xaiver's face fell at Merrick's words, and he immediately let go of Serene, "No, you can't do that."

"Why not?" Merrick appeared annoyed.

"Because, we don't know who she's with. What if the wrong person overhears the message, and we get Cricket into an even deeper mess? That would make all of our lives much worse."

"He's got a point," Hali had to admit.

"Of course he does," Serene sighed dreamily.

Really? Hali had thought the girl had gotten over him, but no such luck.

"Then let's just head to the Trench," repeated Hali.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Here is the promised update of Ocean Star, folks. Converse r life was highly upset at my April Fools joke, and made me promise to update this story... for real this time. I also had to promise to update The Fish Dish, which I will do tomorrow. So, I will see you all then. Come on guys, even Google played an April Fools prank on us! Topeka! Haha!

Hey, guess what? Tomorrow is the 205th birthday of Han's Christian Andersen, creator of the Little Mermaid! Happy birthday Hans!

I've got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere,

xJadeRainx


	79. Chapter 79: Trek to the Catacombs

Lysander's fingers were clamped tightly around Cricket's wrist, as his body frantically cut through the water, leaving the mermaid to trail behind him like a blade of stray kelp. Cricket's heart was pounding heavily in her chest cavity, but she doubted it was from the stress of swimming at such a fast pace. No, it was more likely from the dread and fear of the terrible things that would await their little Adelaide. Yes, that was definitely it, Cricket's brain consoled her, but something deep within her gut pointed to yet another possible explanation. And young Cricket didn't even want to begin to think about that. It was just so awful! Still, in spite of herself, the mermaid stole another quick glace at Lysander. He had a masculine profile, in particular, a strong chin and jawline, and Cricket couldn't help but notice the perfectly angled cut of his nose. Lysander's jet black hair jostled over his wide amber eyes, as the two rushed towards the Western Trench, and his facial expression was so intense, so focused, that in nearly stopped the beating of Cricket's heart. Lysander really was an attractive merman... but he was a bad guy, an enemy of her own family! She shouldn't be experiencing these sort of... feelings. Or should she? Caught up in her own self torment, Cricket forced herself to look away from the young emperor. If she didn't gaze upon him, then she wouldn't think about him so fondly. Right?

After a few minutes of silent torture endured, Cricket had to say something, anything at all, just to break the foreboding quiet. She could almost hear her own heartbeat!

"Lysander..." Cricket hesitantly began, but however she planned to finish that sentence didn't matter, seeing as the emperor cut her off almost as quickly as she began speaking.

"Jira... Jira hasn't got much time left, I'm afraid. It's vital that we hurry. We'll exit though the catacombs beneath my palace."

"Her name is Adelaide," Cricket reinforced, rather severely, causing Lysander to spin around sharply.

"Must you argue _everything_," Lysander narrowed his amber eyes, before grabbing fistfuls of his black hair, "_everything_! Crickēta, do you fail to realize how serious this is?"

"I think I know all too well, how serious this is," Cricket snapped, suddenly finding herself highly angered at the merman, "Adelaide being in such danger, my imprisonment, all of it, is entirely your fault!"

At the end of her little outburst, Cricket immediately regretted the harshness of her words. Somehow, the undeniable truth of the words didn't seem to matter all that much, because when she had finished speaking, Lysander's expressive eyes instantly filled a deep hurt, and sorrow. Just how fervently did he regret his actions, and the trouble he had caused? He behaved as if the whole situation was causing _him_ stress and anguish! Whatever the case, the heartbroken look etched deeply over Lysander's features made Cricket nearly want to cry. But the real question was: why did she care so much?

"I'm sorry," Cricket breathed in apology before her brain even had time to register what her mouth had just spewed forth.

Almost instantly, Lysander's sorrow was replaced by a look of determination, his amber eyes glinting with a passion Cricket couldn't quite place. Her heart skipped a beat, as Cricket realized she could no longer deny that she wanted him. Neptune help the poor wretch! Cricket wanted him, Lysander, Emperor of Murk, and enemy of Atlantica.

Cricket was only half aware of her flushing cheeks, before Lysander broke the girl from her troublesome reverie.

"Are you ill?" he asked, seemingly concerned.

"N-no," Cricket stuttered, "I'm fine... but Adelaide..."

Lysander sighed, brushing back his hair, a useless attempt, seeing that his hair immediately fell back in front of his eye, "The Blood Moon is due to rise within the hour. We need to overtake Ladon at once."

"What..." Cricket bit her lip uncomfortably, "what does he want to do with her?"

"That, I do not know," Lysander winced in his distress, "Ladon's plans are a mystery to me. I was called to slit Jira's throat at the Blood Moon Ceremony tonight..."

At this, Cricket let out a horrified gasp, and backed away from Lysander out of instinct. She watched as Lysander eyes saddened once more. Cricket much preferred the emperor's glint of steadfast determination, to this lackluster look of pure sadness.

"I am ashamed," Lysander lowered his head of shaggy, black hair," I never should have..."

The poor boy looked as though he were consumed with guilt, and all Cricket wanted to do was embrace him, and kiss away his pain... but she couldn't do that. Her family would forbid such a thing, Cricket knew.

"You never should have what?" Cricket was forced to settle for that. She would distance herself emotionally from the emperor. Then, everything would be fine... once they saved Adelaide that was.

"Never mind," Lysander choked on nothing at all, before taking hold of the mermaid's wrist again, "we, must leave now. The quickest route to the Western Trench is through the underwater catacombs."

And then the two sped off.

* * *

"I think I remember where that trench is located," Hali announced, as she surveyed the group before them, "but we're going to have to exit through the catacombs again."

"But the mean old kraken is there!" Serene shirked in a squeaky protest, "what if she's still hungry!"

Hali softened, holding her arms out to the little mermaid, and Serene happily swam into the embrace, "Hush, the karken can't hurt you, or any of us, now. Remember?"

"Mais oui, that's right," Xavier chimed in, ruffling the girls blond hair, "Ketea's loyal to Hali, now."

Serene sniffed, and nodded, having apparently taken comfort in Xavier's helpful reminder.

"Besides," Hali grinned down at the girl, who had buried her face in the Guardian's shoulder," Tip and Dash are waiting for us there!"

"Yeah," Merrick snorted pessimistically, "if they followed your orders and stayed put."

Hali sighed, scrunching up her nose, while biting her lower lip simultaneously. She hated to admit as much, but Merrick had touched on an excellent point. Tip was known for taking matters into his own hands, or rather, his own flippers, and Dash... well, that walrus would follow Tip anywhere.

"We'd better go check up on them, while we're at it," Hali thought out loud.

"All right then, let's go," Xavier began seriously, taking Serene from Hali's arms. He had become the girl's personal protector slash body guard.

Hali and Merrick both nodded in agreement. Hali was well aware of how much time they had wasted, and the Guardian couldn't shake the feeling that Adelaide wasn't going to wait on them much longer. Just as Hali and the others were about to turn and leave the Murken nursery, a shrill, unfamiliar voice pierced their sensitive, merfolk eardrums.

"Who are you?" the voice cried, in such a mix of emotions, that it was impossible for Hali to identify them all, "what purpose do you have here?"

The makeshift band of rescuers, quickly turned about, startled, only to meet the gaze of an irate mermaid. However, it was quite obvious that she was not a member of the Murken race. She was pretty, although worn, and spiritless, with a peachy complexion, long, flowing auburn hair.

"Please," Hali cautiously begged, "Please, keep your voice down."

"Do not order me," the mermaid was now at the brink of hysterics, "you can't be here. You'll have me killed!"

"Calm down, miss," Xavier heroically soothed, "no one here wishes to harm you."

The mermaid gave a hard, humorless laugh, " This is the sacrifice's nursery! No one is to enter his room save the emperor and myself. You'll have me killed! The masters are merciless!"

Hali's heart nearly lurched from her chest at the sound of the word, 'sacrifice'. It just made everything seem that much more real.

"What's your name?" Hali asked hurriedly, hoping to patch up the misunderstanding.

"I no longer have a name! I am a slave, a dead slave!"

"Please," Hali nearly cried with fear of being caught, and consequently captured, "I'm begging you to stop shouting. Please, just listen for a moment..."

"I'm alerting the masters!" the terrified slave shrieked again, and turned to dart out of the room.

"Stop her!" Hali shouted in a desperate order.

Merrick immediately swam to the doorway, blocking the fragile slave's exit.

"Let me pass!" the terrified slave demanded, pounding against his chest with her fists.

"I can't do that," Merrick looked at the mermaid sadly, "lives are at stake here."

"Yes!" the slave cried indignantly, "mine!"

As the poor mermaid continued to beat against Merrick's chest, Hali snuck up behind her, and gently placed a hand along the slave's shoulder, "астатняе, калі ласка."

Then, the slave immediately crashed to the nursery floor, as Merrick and Xavier looked to the guardian in alarm.

Hali held her spell book tightly to her chest, frowning, "Don't worry. She's only sleeping, but I'm not sure how long the spell will last, which means, we need to leave now."

"Yes," Merrick agreed, "her screaming might have roused the attention of Murken guards, and that's the last thing we need."

Hali shook her head, unsure if she would be able to escape this mess that was unfolding all around them, but still she, no they, had to try.

"Come, the catacombs are this way," Hali gestured to the group with the arm that wasn't cradling her spell book, "all we have to do is make left turns at every corridor. Let's move."

So, the rescue group quickly fled the nursery room, eager to leave the terrible place, each of them taking a final glace at the unconscious slave laying still against the floor. She looked so beaten, that Hali's heart bled for the stranger.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Whoot, whoot! That's two updates of two different stories today! Perhaps that will make you feel inclined to give me a lighter penalty for not posting in so long. I say that hopefully.

What is this? Cricket finally admitted to herself that she likes Lysander! AND that she wants to kiss him! I wonder how that will all work out? Hmm...

Anyway, I will give twenty virtual fanfiction dollars to the FIRST reader who can guess the name of the slave that appeared in this chapter. You can spend it on anything you like! PM me with a story request!

Stars shining bright above you,

xJadeRainx


	80. Chapter 80: Internal Struggle

The Emperor of Murk effortlessly weaved through the many corridors of the long abandoned catacombs. The catacombs seemed endless, as he led Crickēta towards the center room, by her delicate hand. He couldn't see Crickēta, however. The catacombs were far to dark for anyone's eyes to focus, but Lysander could _feel_ her... the warmth of her hand in his... the closeness of her body... the rapid beating of her heart... Crickēta was frightened. Crickēta was frightened, and it was, as she had so eloquently stated earlier, entirely his fault. Here she was, the only living being, who could stand to be near him, the only one who could actually stomach to... to touch him, and he frightened her. Lysander stole from her. He broke her family. He had her imprisoned like a petty criminal. Why? The emperor asked himself, although he already knew the answer. Lysander was so desperate to gain the acceptance of his people, that he had made some questionable decisions. Lysander was so desperate for his people to love him, that when Ceto first mentioned the Blood Moon ceremony, he agreed immediately. The emperor had honestly thought that if he were to bring Tiamat back from the dead, as a gift to his people, then they wouldn't loath him as much. Only, Lysander came to realize, that his subjects would never have warmed to him; they merely wanted to use him. Murkens were incapable of love.

Lysander shook his head. Crickēta had warmed to him, but he betrayed her, After all the horrible things he inflicted on her family, how could Lysander ever expect the girl to care for him? He had ruined any possible relationship with Crickēta the moment he invaded the Atlantican Castle, and he hadn't even known it at the time. Then, of course there was Triton. Surely, he would wage war on Murk however the situation turned out. If Jira were to die, Triton would be outraged, and then... war. If Jira were to be returned to Triton, he would still be angered that his child was taken in the first place, and then... war. Even if Crickēta, unlikely as it seemed, desired to pursue a relationship with him, her family would no doubt oppose that. Frowning, Lysander tried to accept the fact that he was destined to live out a lonely life, after all.

"How much longer before we reach the Western Trench?" Crickēta's terrified whisper cut the train of Lysander's thoughts.

Lysander could scarcely contain himself, then. He couldn't bare to hear the blatant fear, and distress in her pretty voice. All Lysander wanted to do now, was pull her tightly to his body, tilt up her chin, and kiss her. Then, he would reassure her that Jira would be fine. Everything would be fine. He would make sure of that. But, Lysander knew that Crickēta would only resist such an advance, so he rather grudgingly suppressed his urges.

"It will not be long now," Lysander answered, almost coldly, "I know these halls like the back of my hand. It's hard to see in this dark, but I estimate that we must be just outside the center room. We only need to turn a few more corridors before we reach the trench outside."

There. Lysander would distance himself emotional from Crickēta. That way, he wouldn't think of her so fondly, hence stopping the constant self-torture. Right?

Lysander tugged Crickēta along forcefully, as they entered the circular chamber that rested at the heart of the catacombs. He shivered slightly, as he ushered Crickēta towards the exit. This room was where Ketea once lived, but she was gone now. Crickēta's family had dispatched Ketea like a common beast. Lysander felt a hot wave of anger swell up, beginning in the pit of his stomach, but he quickly stifled the sensation. The Atlanticans would have had no reason to invade his home, if Lysander had not done so first. They would never had a reason to destroy his kraken, if Lysander had never kidnapped one of their own. One of their own? Jira was just as much Murken as she was Atlantican. Lysander unwittingly applied extra pressure to Crickēta's hand, as he realized something. The emperor wanted to save Jira from Ladon's clutches, he did, but that did not go to say that he actually wanted to give the child back to the Atlanticans. No, Lysander wanted to keep her.

"Lysander," Crickēta began, uncomfortably, "you're almost hurting me."

Oh. Coming back to his senses, Lysander released the pressure on Crickēta's feminine hand, as he continued to tug her towards the exit.

"This way," Lysander ordered, remembering to distance himself from the exceptionally beautiful mermaid at his side.

Then, something brushed passed them, and Lysander looked up in alarm, only to be hit directly in the face by a mass of large air bubble. Whatever it was, it was big. Huge.

"What was that?" Crickēta asked in a panic.

Ketea? No, Lysander shook is head to himself. He _knew_ Ketea was dead. The bond was severed. He could_ feel_ as much. Could it possibly be her child, Ketos? No, Ketos wasn't nearly this large. That meant... it was Ketea. Ketea was alive, after all!

When Lysander felt the first of her ten gargantuan tentacles wrap around his waist, he was not afraid. Ketea would never harm him. They shared far too long of a history. Once, as children, Ladon had led Lysander deep within the center of the catacombs and left him there, hoping the kraken would devour Lysander before morning. Only, the beast did no such thing. Lysander supposed that since he was next in line for the Murken throne, the kraken had felt that sacred bond, and had taken especially good care of him. It was then that Lysander gave her the name Ketea, and played with her son, whom he had also named Ketos. Young Lysander was lost in the catacombs for two whole days, before Phorcys finally located him, taking his son back to the palace. Apparently a young Ceto had confessed what Ladon had done with the prince, and was swiftly punished for that action. But why was Lysander thinking of such things now?

It was only when Ketea wrapped her tentacle tighter around the emperor, squeezing a great deal of oxygen out of his body, did he begin to worry. Then, when Lysander heard Crickēta let out a sharp squeal of pain, he instantly panicked.

"Ketea," he shouted, with the command of an emperor, "let her ... uugh"

Lysander's words were abruptly cut, as the kraken purposefully squeezed the remaining air from his lungs. What was happening? Lysander began to struggle his way out of Ketea's grip, as he heard Crickēta's frantic screams. What was Ketea doing to her? Lysander had to stop this. He would never let any harm come to Crickēta. He loved her. The emperor angrily dug his fingernails into the karken's fleshy tentacles, but to no avail. Ketea was far to strong for him. He could utter a spell to keep Ketea at bay, but Lysander found he couldn't speak, for the kraken was squeezing him so tightly. When the emperor began to hear his bones crack, however, he was frightened... plain frightened.

Suddenly, a voice Lysander did not recognize filled the chamber, as it cried, _"святла!"_

Lysander winced immediately as the entire room was engulfed with a radiant light. It was magic, Lysander knew that much, but who had cast the spell? The emperor forced his eyes open, and when the annoying purple spots finally subsided, Lysander could clearly distinguish the figures of four merfolk near the entrance of the room. Two females. Two males. Four Atlanticans.

* * *

** Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Hello, my darling fans! The latest installment. The first half of this chapter was supposed to be from Lysander's point of view, and the second half was supposed to be from Hali's... but I went a little too long with Lysander, so I just edited how I had planed the chapter to end. By a show of hands, how many of you bright readers figured out that Hali and the other would run into Cricket and the emperor?

Did you notice how Lysander's thoughts on Crickēta from the beginning of the chapter are awfully similar to Cricket's thoughts on Lysander from the beginning of last chapter? Isn't that curious! Notice the punctuation I used there. an '!' instead of a '?' Clever.

So anyway, we got a little bit of a look into Lysander's past here. Did anything in Lysander's trip down memory lane strike you as odd? Go back and look again if it didn't.

When you're a jet, you're a jet all the way,

xJadeRainx


	81. Chapter 81: The Child's Warning

When Hali and the others rushed through the entrance where they had first encountered the kraken, she had expected the room to be pitch black, however, what the Guardian did not expect was to hear painful screams, in a voice she recognized to be Cricket's, emanating from deep within the darkness. Hali's initial reaction was to cast one of her light spells, and get to the bottom of all of this. And so she did.

_святла!_

The first sight to meet Hali's azure eyes, was the towering form of Ketea clutching a terrified looking Cricket, and a merman the Guardian had never seen before, in her large, fat tentacles. Ketea had never met Cricket, Hali realized. So, the kraken had no idea that Cricket was one of Hali's allies, but that still did not explain the merman.

"Ketea," Hali ordered sternly, glowering and the beast, "release them."

'I am only trying to serve you,' the kraken answered back in an almost hiss. It was plain to see that Ketea resented the Guardian to no end, but Hali had zero time for games.

"Now," growled the Guardian, having no patience left within her petite body.

Ketea's twisted her free tentacles in a motion resembling a shrug, and released her captives. Cricket and the stranger both sank a few feet, before regaining control of their bodies enough to swim.

"Cricket!" the cry came from Merrick, as he raced thorough the water in an attempt to reach his baby sister. When Merrick finally overtook the girl, he swept her into a tight hug, and began stroking the Cricket's blond locks lovingly.

"Yeah... Merrick..." Cricket uneasily began, while squirming to escape his hold, "you can let go now. You're embarrassing me."

At that, Merrick pushed the mermaid away from him, and scowled, "Please explain what was going through your mind, when you ignored every last one of our messages."

"Well..." Cricket offered a sheepish smile, "I didn't ignore _every_ single message... I _did _answer one, remember?"

Merrick crossed his arms, unamused, "That is hardly satisfactory..." Merrick's voice trailed off as if he just realized the unfamiliar merman was still in the room with them, "who is _that_?

Hali noticed that Merrick narrowed his blue eyes, as he examined the stranger with a critical, and cold stare. With everything they still needed to deal with, Merrick continued playing the overprotective brother angle. It was astonishing, really. Hali motioned for Xavier and Serene to follow her, and together they swam the rest of the distance, until they found themselves at Merrick's right flank.

"Who?" Cricket laughed nervously.

Hali rolled her eyes, slightly amused, but mostly disappointed. Cricket wasn't nearly as good as a liar as the Guardian was; the skill must not run in the family, then. Though, Cricket _was _behaving rather strangely. What? Had Cricket developed a crush on this guy already?

"Him," Merrick answered gruffly, curtly nodding once in the stranger's direction.

"Oh," Cricket rubbed the back of her neck, glancing towards the merman at her side, "this is Lysander. He's... a friend. He sprung me from the dungeon, and wants to help us save Adelaide."

Yep, Hali confined to herself. Cricket had it bad. This was going to be interesting, to say the least.

"Hali!" Serene cried urgently, tugging at the Guardian's lily-white arm, "Hali!"

"Not now, Serene," Hali whispered to the child, who looked rather perturbed at being brushed aside yet again.

"Lysander," Cricket continued, "this is my brother, Merrick. The redhead is my cousin Hali, and next to her is her fiancé, Xavier. And the little one is Serene. Say hello, Serene."

Only Serene did not greet the merman Cricket introduced as Lysander, but crossed her little arms, angrily.

"Okay..." Cricket drawled for a minute, "now that we're all acquainted... let's go save Adelaide!"

The mermaid quickly turned towards the waiting exit, when Merrick called her back.

"Not so fast, Cricket."

Cricket's shoulders sank, as she slowly turned back around to face her stoic faced brother, "Where did you meet him?"

"Oh," Cricket huffed dramatically, as if the question annoyed her, "You see, Lysander's a slave to the evil, Murken regime, but he rebelled, breaking me out of prison, and all... so, now let's go."

Ketea was still swimming lazily overhead, circling the merfolk, and Hali suspected that the karken knew much more than she was letting on, and there was something else that was bothering the guardian. She didn't see Tip, Dash, or Sebastian anywhere.

"Ketea?" Hali questioned, resting her arms akimbo, "Where are my friends?"

'You must be blind, dear,' sang Ketea, 'they're right at your side.'

Hali sighed, "No, Ketea, I was referring..."

The Guardian stopped speaking for a moment, because... what was his name again? Oh. Hali had stopped speaking, because she noticed that Cricket's new friend, Lysander was staring at her with a mix of confusion, and horror. Oh, right... He couldn't hear the kraken's inner voice, so Lysander was most likely thinking Hali was insane. Oh, well. She'd deal with that later. Hali didn't have time to bring outsiders up to speed.

The Guardian began again, "I was referring to Tip, Dash, and Sebastian."

'Oh, well you should have clarified that,' Ketea taunted, 'the old crab didn't like the way I was looking at him... said it made him feel like an appetizer, so he took off. Then, the singing walrus and penguin followed him. I couldn't tell you where they swam off to even if I desired to do such a thing.'

'Wonderful," Hali slapped her forehead in aggravation, "our daring animal companions can be anywhere."

"Well, we don't have time to look for them!" Merrick cried, with what appeared to be a rising temper.

"I know that," Hali growled back at her cousin, "So let's just move along then."

Hali's attention was pulled back to Cricket, when the girl spoke again.

"Lysander knows exactly where the Western Trench is," Cricket's eyes flickered from Hali, back to the stranger, "he's been a very helpful... erm... guide."

Good. Hali felt her body relax a little bit. Cricket's new friend, and/or potential love interest could be extremely helpful. They could use someone from the inside, someone who knew how the Murken social system worked... even if he was a slave, like the mermaid they had left unconscious, in the nursery.

"Hali..." Serene's tiny voice chimed in again, "I have something important to say..."

"Serene," Merrick warned, "we don't have time for this right now, okay?"

"But, but..." the little mermaid sniffed, reaching for Xavier's hand, for what Hali assumed was comfort,"But..."

"Take us to the trench," Hali ordered, wondering why she felt so at ease telling a stranger what to do. Perhaps it was a side effect from ordering servants around for most of her life. Well, she was a princess!

"Certainly," Lysander nodded, "it is this way."

Just as Hali, Merrick, and Cricket turned to follow their new found ally, Serene, still gripping tightly to Xavier's right hand, shouted desperately at the top of her lungs.

"We can't trust him!"

Hali froze, as did the rest of her group, and they all just stared at the girl, until she spoke again.

"I...I saw this man before," Serene stuttered, her little brown eyes turning cold.

At this, Xavier placed both hands along the mermaid's shoulder's, and brushed a lock of blond hair aside, "Serene, that's impossible. You couldn't have met him before."

"Well of course I've never _met_ him," Serene replied in a terribly affronted voice, "I said that I _saw_ him before. In my dream."

"She means one of her visions," Hali whispered, trying to figure out which vision in particular Serene was referencing. There had only been two that Hali knew of... the one back in Atlantica, and the one during their trip to Murk...

"Oh, crap," Cricket mumbled under her breath, and Hali just barely registered what her cousin just said, but she didn't have time to contemplate that, for Serene had one last thing to add.

"He kidnapped Adelaide!" Serene cried, pointing an accusing finger directly at Lysander, with the hand that wasn't holding on to the Frenchman for dear life.

Hali first stared at Cricket in shock. The poor girl had been fooled. This... this... Lysander, if that was even his real name, was no friend. He was an enemy. Then, Hali swallowed hard, and reached into her kelp knapsack, as her fingers clasped around her trusty spell book.


	82. Chapter 82: Two Sides to a Story

Lysander hovered still in the water, unsure of how to proceed. Crickēta's family did not appear to be taking kindly to him. The redhead one, who was quite obviously their leader, narrowed her eyes at Lysander, while Crickēta's older brother looked as if he could murder with a single stare. Then, there was the child. She was huddled close to another merman, burying her face into his side. The child, quite clearly, was frightened. Her companion, on the other had, was regarding Lysander suspiciously. The emperor gathered that the merman was contemplating whether or not he should trust the stranger. Well, Lysander had to admit to himself, that Crickēta's relations had more than enough reason be hostile with him. He had, after all, abducted Jira from right under their noses with the intention of hurting, no, killing her... but something had changed inside him during the last few days following Jira's kidnapping. _He_, Lysander, had changed.

Currently, the red haired mermaid, Crickēta had introduced as Hali, was glaring at the emperor, with the steeliest of looks, gripping tightly in her hands, a large book. Was it some sort of grimoire? Who was this mermaid? Lysander wondered. Certainly, it was she who had cast the light spell only moments ago... but did she truly require the use of a spell book? That was, in all respects... cliche. Why, Lysander hadn't relied on a grimoire since the age of seven! Spell books were for amateurs... beginners. If this girl were even to cast a spell against him, Lysander could easily incapacitate her, though that would do nothing to prove his loyalties to Crickēta, or her family. The emperor would simply have to wait and see what would unfold.

"Cricket, move away from him," the mermaid called Hali ordered with an unmistakable severity, "now."

Before Lysander even had time to utter a single word, Crickēta had positioned her body directly in front of him, spreading her arms wide. Was Crickēta actually... protecting _him_? An outsider? A halfling? An enemy of her family? Atlantican's were strange beings, or at least Crickēta was a strange being. Strange, and interesting, and amusing, and beautiful, and... Oh, right. Lysander had to chastise himself inwardly. He was supposed to be distancing himself from the girl. It was for the best.

"No," Crickēta replied to the redhead, with a surprising amount of confidence.

The mermaid's facial expression changed immediately. She had only been staring at the emperor with disdain, but following Crickēta's words, Hali appeared confused, as if she had expected Crickēta to dart away from him at once. When that did not happen, however, Hali shifted her gaze to Crickēta, and blinked for a moment or two, before she seemed to find her bearings.

"What?" the mermaid almost whispered in her shock, "You can't be serious."

"I _am_ serious," Crickēta answered again, refusing to let down her arms, "more serious than I have ever been."

* * *

Hali's mouth hung open in horror. What had gotten into Cricket? The deranged little girl was actively defending the very same monster who kidnapped Adelaide, an action that worked as a catalyst to a whole host of problems for their family, including Cricket being captured my the Murkens. Did she forget that much? Not likely. Perhaps this... this Lysander had placed some sort of mind control spell on poor Cricket. That would explain things at least. Still, Hali had been so sure that Cricket had developed a bit of a crush on some dashing hero that had rescued her from the heart of the Murken dungeon. That was not the case however. This character was an enemy. Their main enemy! What had Hali seen between the two of them, then? What Hali had first believed a fondness that Cricket held for this stranger, had in fact been nothing more than a case of Stockholm syndrome. Swell.

"Okay, Cricket," Hali again attempted to bring the girl to her senses, "I know you're a little confused right now, but..."

"I am _not_ confused," Cricket answered, as she finally lowered her arms to her side.

"Cricket," Hali voiced angrily, losing all patience, "stop this now."

"You can stop talking to me like I'm a child, Hali," Cricket snapped back, narrowing her blue eyes.

Hali couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cricket was being belligerent with her, when the actual kidnapper was right at her side! This was all so insane!

"Merrick!" Hali cried, glancing over to her cousin, "talk some sense into your sister, before it's too late! Right now, I think I'm going to be sick."

Hali could really have used Xavier's shoulder to cry on, at the moment, but her fiancé was a little too preoccupied with Serene to pay any attention to her.

"She's right, Cricket," Merrick began in a deadly calm, "He's the enemy... a bad guy..."

"No, he's not!" screeched Cricket.

Hali snorted in disbelief. Adelaide's life was hanging by a thread. They were all running out of time to rescue her. Cricket had been brainwashed by Murkens. She was so incredibly tired. All Hali wanted to do was break down in tears, but she found there were none left in her body.

"Yes he is!" Serene piped up, finally emerging from Xavier's embrace, "I saw him! He took Adelaide! The other kidnappers just followed what he said! It's all his fault! It's all his fault!"

At the end of her little outburst, Serene commenced to sniffling, and turned back to Xavier. Everyone in the room was stunned for a moment, before Merrick retook control.

"Do you see, Cricket?," Merrick frowned, "Serene isn't lying. Let Hali deal with him, so that we can retrieve Adelaide safely, please."

Cricket, shook her head stubbornly, "Lysander did kidnap Adelaide, but things are different now. He's changed. Lysander wants to help us now, and..."

"And what?" Merrick's voice was grave, almost as if he was daring the girl to finish her sentence.

"I..." Cricket fumbled over her words, and gulped, "I think I'm in love with him."

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Well, this chapter wasn't supposed to end this way... there was a lot more planned for this chapter, but I am far too tired to write anymore, and I thought you would all be eager to read this much at least... was I wrong?

God, I just want this day (in the story) to end already! ...but there is just too much to tie in! *Sniff* I am such a failure.

A special thanks to MermaidRaven for her idea!

How much is that dogie in the window?

xJadeRainx


	83. Chapter 83: Cracking

Oh, sweet Neptune! As soon as the words left her mouth, Cricket wished she could suck them back into the dark depths of oblivion. But the words had been said. It wasn't that they were necessarily untrue... it was quite the opposite really, but look at what she had done! Her family appeared just about ready to kill, and it made Cricket shiver all over.

* * *

In a mere instant, Lysander's heart stopped beating. The emperor couldn't have heard what he _thought_ he just heard. But it was true. Crickēta had vehemently confessed to her relations that she harbored _feelings_ for him... that she loved _him_, Lysander. For Ancients' Cause, what had he ever done to deserve Crickēta's affections?

* * *

Merrick blinked back his confusion that was ever so quickly being replaced with anger. He kept his arms crossed tightly against his chest, because it was all the merman could do to keep him from strangling the life out of his baby sister. Cricket had fallen in love on his watch... and with a _Murken_. Impossible! Attina was going to kill him.

* * *

Hali kept her mouth clamped closed with such force, that she could feel her teeth grinding together. If she opened her pretty, little mouth, the Guardian knew she would scream, just scream. Cricket had gone insane. That was the only plausible explanation. Seriously though, Cricket hadn't even been in captivity for an entire day! She couldn't have possibly fallen in love, in such a short time frame. She couldn't have. Okay, fine, Hali had only known Xavier for a little over a week before she actually told him that she _loved_ him but still, that wasn't the point. The point was... the point was, the man was a Murken. A _Murken_!

* * *

Serene narrowed her deep, brown eyes at the Murken target. What was Hali waiting for? She should blast him with her spell book thingy. Maybe when the bad guy was gone, Cricket would revert back to normal. Really, how could anyone fall in love with the very same person who stole Adelaide away in the middle of the night? The same person who forced them to swim a journey spanning half the ocean, and most importantly, making Serene leave behind Mommy, Daddy, Kelvin, and her best friend, Darwin? Cricket was either crazy, or under and _evil_ spell from the _evil_ Murken.

* * *

Xavier studied the faces of his companions, looking to each of them in turn. Serene had stopped crying at least, but her tiny features obviously conveyed that she was mulling something over in that little brain of hers. Cricket's chest was heaving up and down. If it was from fear, or her nerves, Xavier couldn't rightly tell. Merrick's facial expression was utterly unamused, and frankly, Xavier was surprised that the merman hadn't made any moves to lunge at Cricket, or more precisely, at this... this Lysaner fellow, who incidentally appeared stunned beyond all belief. And Hali! Well, actually, Hali seemed to be taking Cricket's declaration fairly well. She hadn't yet spoken a word in protest. Perhaps his fiancée was more tolerant than Xavier gave her credit for. In any case, the room was tense.

* * *

Suddenly, Hali's senses, all of them, returned to the girl in a flood. She didn't have time for all this madness. Adelaide was waiting for them, and she wasn't going to wait that much longer. No, Hali refused to be the one who would have to return to Atlantica and tell the king that his precious baby girl was dead. Especially since Hali had the opportunity, and the power to stop all of it. One thing was for certain, however. They would have to dispose of the Murken. He was like a lethal poison to their family, and would have to be dealt with accordingly.

"Cricket," Hali sighed, as her voice cracked a bit from the stress, "you're confused right now, but that's not your fault. We don't know what he did to you, but I can fix it. You'll be back to your old self in no time, but you have to just... move away from him."

Hali moved her right hand in a motion that suggested swimming, just to emphasize her words to the confused little mermaid.

"No," Cricket answered, as stubborn as ever.

Hali clenched her jaw again. This was steadily becoming more serious. The Guardian was going to have to get Cricket away from the Murken at once. Hali reached for the girl's arm, but Cricket harshly ripped her wrist away, throwing her limbs around the neck of the enemy.

"You won't touch him," warned Cricket, venom lacing her voice.

Hali then shook her head, almost imperceptibly, and swallowed down the remainder of her patience. If Cricket didn't know what was good for her, Hali was just going to have to show her.

"Fine, I won't," the Guardian spoke with an unnatural calm.

Hali watched humorlessly, as Cricket slacked her grip from around the Murekn's neck. The princess hated herself, for what she was about to do, but it was for the greater good. Cricket would thank her later... whenever the girl came back to her head, that was.

"You... you won't?" Cricket questioned in awe.

"No, I won't," Hali responded coolly, "the kraken will."

Cricket gasped in horror, and Hali's gut wrenched, but she pushed the awful sensation aside. They had maybe twenty minutes to save Adelaide, and the Murken was standing directly in their way.

"Ketea," ordered the Guardian, curiously detached, "take care of Lysander."

The kraken, who had been circling the merfolk, observing the drama of it all, ceased swimming as soon as the command was given. Hali surprised herself with how well she had actually reined in the sea monster.

Ketea swam up to Hali, snapping her beak just inches in front of the her petite nose.

'I truly despise you,' the kraken clipped in a voice only the Guardian could hear.

Hali was not surprised however, when the kraken abruptly turned away from her, stalking towards the Murken. It was only moments, before Ketea had Lysander twined between her gargantuan tentacles.

"No!" Cricket screamed, as she charged towards the beast, but Merrick was too fast for her.

The merman scooped Cricket into his strong, brotherly arms, enfolding the struggling girl to his chest. No matter how Cricket fought, she couldn't escape Merrick's hold.

"Calm down," her brother attempted to sooth the mermaid, "you're safe now."

"No," Cricket whispered forlornly, sobs escaping from her body, "why?"

Hali sighed, looking away from the sight of the karken squeezing the life from the Murken. It was what she had ordered. It was what was best for her family. Then, why did she feel so despicable? The guardian almost hated herself.

"Hali..." Xavier began, but she swiftly cut him off. She didn't want to know what he thought of her at the moment. Xavier's disapproval... his disappointment... the thought alone frightened her.

"Let's clear out," commanded the Guardian, and her troops followed. Cricket by force, and Xavier rather reluctantly, pulling Serene behind him.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

So, the first six little blurbs in this chapter is everyone's initial reaction to Cricket's declaration of love for Lysander. I thought that was important. And Converse r life, see? I used your idea for Serene's blurb! Isn't that just peachy?

As for the last part of this chapter... try not to be too upset with Hali. Remember, she is at her breaking point. She carries all this responsibility, needs to save Adelaide, believes that Lysander is evil and has brainwashed Cricket, and hasn't slept in days. Anyone would crack. I know I would.

That's me in the corner. That's me in the spotlight, loosing my religion,

xJadeRainx


	84. Chapter 84: And Then There was Darkness

If Lysander could breathe, than surely, he could speak, and if he could speak, the emperor would be capable of uttering a simple spell that would force Ketea to release him. But Lysander couldn't breathe, for the kraken was squeezing him tightly around his middle, blocking his airway. This of course meant his spells were useless. Panicked thoughts coursed through the emperor's head, as he struggled in vain to free himself. Never, never would Lysander have thought, that it would be Ketea who would end his life. Ketea... he had _given_ her that name. Then, a thought struck Lysander as odd. He hadn't spoken Ketea's name aloud, but somehow Crickēta's cousin _knew_ what she was called. Crickēta's cousin even appeared to have an ability to _communicate_ with Ketea. In any case, Ketea heeded the mermaid's every command. How was that possible? Lysander didn't even possess such a capability! Gradually, the emperor began to feel dizzy, as the room around him faded to black. Had the light spell cast by the Atlantican finally worn off, or was Lysander dying. He couldn't tell.

* * *

That mermaid wasn't as bright as she thought she was, and to think she called herself the Ocean's Heart! What a ridiculous notion! Her new _mistress_ had ordered Ketea to 'take care' of Lysander; the Guardian never asked Ketea to kill him, and so she wouldn't! The moment that awful mermaid had exited her lair with those useless companions, Ketea released the Murken emperor immediately. The poor dear was totally out of breath! Well, she had make it look convincing, didn't she! Lysander's body drifted almost lifelessly towards the floor of the catacombs, in his current state of unconsciousness. He fell slowly through the blackness, for the annoying light spell that had invaded her home, had dissipated only moments ago. No matter, Ketea's huge, yellow eyes could see perfectly in such darkness. She preferred it that way, too. Light was far to harsh for a kraken's taste.

As Lysadner continued to drift ever so slowly to the bottom of the catacombs, Ketea chased after him. Having finally taken up her adopted child, and cradling him in as loving a fashion as was respectable for a kraken, Ketea began to gently massage Lysander's face and upper chest with her great, fleshy tentacles. The boy would be fine. He simply required a little stimulation, and Lysander would take another breath. Ketea would never allow this child to die on her watch. What would the dearly departed Phorcys have to say about that! Ketea shuddered, despite the fact that Phorcys had been dead for nearly three years now.

When Lysander finally drew that all important first breath, Ketea removed her tentacles from around his body, one by one. If only she could speak to him, Ketea would let the boy know how relieved she truly was.

As Ketea was unwinding the last of her ten suctioned extremities from around the emperor, the Lysander's amber eyes fluttered open. Was the boy preparing to speak, already?

"Crickēta?"

Ketea snapped her beak at this. Lysander had mistaken her for a mermaid? How insulting! And she had saved his life too!

It seemed that Lysander had formed genuine feelings for that little mermaid. Well, his Crickēta was a vast improvement from that nasty, little Guardian. Ketea would never had approved if Lysander found himself in love with _that_ girl!

She nipped playfully at the young emperor's earlobe, hoping to wake his brain. There's was no way in Neptune's waters did a mermaid like Crickēta have such a sharp, pointed beak! And then she released him fully, to swim by his own accord.

* * *

Lysander yelped, at the unexpected pain that tore through his right ear. Ketea had bitten him again? The emperor hated when she did that! Ketea might think she was being gentle, playful, but she was a kraken for Ancients' cause! Perhaps her son Ketos would have found Ketea's action to be nothing more than a nibble, but to Lysander it just plain hurt!

"Ketea," the emperor growled, rubbing his throbbing ear, "you know better than that!"

Lysander couldn't see the karken, but he could hear her swimming just over his head. If Lysadner didn't know any better, he would have cast a light spell, similar to the one the Atlantican had used, but Lysander was no fool. He very well knew how much Ketea disliked light, especially if she was surprised by it... wait. Lysander suddenly remembered something. Only a few minutes ago, Ketea had attempted to kill him by the Atlantican's orders. Yet, here he swam, very much alive.

"Ketea?" he began softly, and the felt a great tentacle brush tenderly across the length of his face.

Lysander understood. Ketea didn't want to harm him. She never did. The emperor didn't exactly know what the Atlantican had done to his bond with the kraken, but it was enough to make Lysander think she was dead. And now it seemed that Ketea was bound to her... forced to comply to her bidding. The emperor couldn't quite understand how she could have undone an age old Murken spell, but he was determined to get to the bottom of all this. However, he needed to rescue Jira first. Lysander didn't trust Ladon for a single minute, and what was worse, the emperor had lost all track of time. The Blood Moon could have already risen, for all he knew.

"Good bye, Ketea," Lysander spoke into the darkness, for he could only estimate the karken's general whereabouts, "I shall reforge our bond. You will see. Until then, there is a child who needs me, as much as I need her."

Then, Lysander spun around, heading for the exit to Ketea's lair, that would lead him to the Western Trench. It might have been dark, but Lysander still knew these catacombs like the back of his hand. He could navigate though each of it's corridors with absolute ease. His lean, muscular body cut thought the water smoothly, and the emperor was outside the catacombs in less than no time at all.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Ha! I fooled you! Ketea was never going to kill Lysander! Okay, how many of you noticed that Hali spoke the words, 'take care of Lysander'? She should have told Ketea to 'kill him', but she didn't. It must have been a result of her fatigue! Oh well, her mistake was Lysander's fortune... and Cricket's too for that matter!

Guess what! Disney is currently planning an Enchanted 2! Isn't that the spiffiest news you've ever heard?

How does she know that you love her?

xJadeRainx


	85. Chapter 85: To be Young and Wise

Ladon was in a horrible rage. The annoying, little halfling was wailing at a simply unfathomable volume. None of Ladon's endeavors to get the ugly fin biter to stop the incessant crying, were successful. He had tired shouting at the tiny beast, but that approach only ended the child's cries for a split second. Soon enough, the halfling was screeching louder than ever before. Covering the child's mouth didn't help at all, either. It had bitten him with the few deceptively sharp baby teeth the loathsome creature possessed. In short, Ladon was at his very wits end. He peered down into the deep ocean trench, that was infested with dozens of huge sea spiders, crawling over each other aggressively. They were hungry; Ladon could easily tell as much, and if it weren't for the charmed amulet that Ceto had given him, the sea spiders would have overtaken him, and consequently the halfling, hours ago. However, the amulet's powers kept the creatures confined to the trench, and away from him.

But... where _was_ Ceto? The priestess was due to meet Ladon at the Western Trench, but she had never showed. The Blood Moon was just about to rise now, and Ladon would need to break the surface to preform the _new_ ceremony. Lysander need not be present for what Ladon had planned for the awful brat. But... where was Lysander for that matter? Ceto was supposed to have taken care of him, and report back to Ladon when the deed was finished. Could Ceto be with his cousin right now? Had the priestess betrayed him for Lysander. She always was curiously attached to the outsider, even as children. Yes, Ladon fumed. That must be it! The thought alone caused Ladon's typically icy blood to boil in his Murken veins. Ceto would pay for her treachery! Soon enough, Ladon would have the greatest power Murk had ever seen at his finger tips. Just thinking about it, left a delicious taste in the Murken's mouth.

Ladon grinned maliciously, as he immersed himself in thoughts of grandeur. While Lysander went off on his wasted mission to kidnap the brat, Ladon and graciously treated himself to the _emperor's_ personal study. It was during this time, that Ladon discovered the most interesting of books. Within its pages, the book spoke of a way to ingest another's magic, but the process could only be completed at the rise of the Blood Moon. It was perfect timing! Lysander was bringing back to Murk the individual with the highest power level in the kingdom's history. He would allow Lysander to think that they would perform the ceremony to return Tiamat from the realm of the Ancients', but in reality, Ladon had an entirely different ceremony planned. He even kept Ceto in the dark about the true plan, until it became absolutely necessary for the priestess to know. So far, the plan had been going along perfectly. Surely, he had hit a minor snag, when he realized Ceto had betrayed him. However, that didn't hurt his master plan to any major degree. Ladon didn't need Ceto, especially since the pathetic brat's power will be his in only a mere few minutes! It wasn't like he cared for Ceto anyway.

Ladon checked the dagger stored snugly in a pouch at his waist, suspended by a shell and seaweed belt. It would be the only tool he needed. When the Blood Moon shone red, illuminating the waves with its eerie hue, Ladon would slide the sharp blade clean across the halfling's neck. Then, under the scarlet moonlight, Ladon would drink from the child's blood dripping down his precious dagger. The halfling would be nothing but a lifeless mound of flesh, but he... _he_ would be the most powerful, the most feared merman in all of Murk! A thought so beautiful, that it brought tears to his deep set, amber eyes.

Not wishing to miss the rising Blood Moon, Ladon hastily raced upwards towards the surface, with the still wailing sacrifice tucked roughly underneath one arm. Her discomfort would end soon enough. Ladon snicked at his personal joke. What an honorable man he truly was!

* * *

Hali could contain herself no longer. She screamed. She cried. She beat her fist against her delicate chest. Why? Upon reaching the Western trench, there was no sign whatsoever that Adelaide had been there. It surrounding area was empty. No baby. No bad guy. Nothing.

"This can't be happening," Hali lamented, unable to choke back the tears that were quickly welling in her azure eyes, "this isn't fair. Adelaide was supposed to be here."

Suddenly, the Guardian felt a large, warm hand rest against her shoulder. Hali assumed it was Xavier, trying to comfort her, but she didn't have the energy or the desire to look and find out for herself. The stupid Blood Moon was going to rise, in roughly ten minutes, and the still hadn't found Adelaide!

"Where is she?" Serene asked, stating the obvious for the group, "Cricket said she was supposed to be right here."

"Adelaide _was_ supposed to be here," Cricket whispered, speaking for the first time, since the incident with Lysander.

Hali could hear the confusion in the young girl's voice, and that broke the Guardian's heart even more. Hali racked her brain, trying to think of a comforting thing to say to Cricket, but even before she had a chance to think of something decent, Merrick cut in angrily.

"Looks like your darling boyfriend lied to you!" Merrick snarled at his sister, "Neptune only know what he actually did with her!"

"No!" Cricket cried stubbornly, glaring at Merrick with hard, blue eyes, "Lysander would never do that! Never!"

Merrick spoke slowly, separating each word for the benefit of the enraged teenage girl before him, "He... kidnapped... her!"

Cricket shouted back just as fervently, "That was before! Before..."

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone blinked at the irritated little form of Serene, covering her ears, attempting to shield herself from the painful shouts of her relatives. For one reason or another, neither Hali, nor the others in the group could bring themselves to answer the child, at all.

"None of you are _helping_!"

"She's right," Xavier admitted sheepishly, "we're all making a bad situation worse."

"I'll fix this," Serene sighed, shooting daggers at the so called adults, and if a single one of them even dared ask her how she planned on doing that, she was going to sock them right in the nose. Well, except maybe Xavier. He's face was too handsome for that.

Serene shook her blond, little head in annoyance, bringing a shining index finger to her lips, and as a tiny pocket of air began to formulate, she whispered, "Hi, Adelaide. It's Serene. I miss you. Please, don't be scared."

Just like that, the bubble detached itself from Serene's tiny finger, and traveled on its merry, little way. Grown ups were so dumb, sometimes. Her tide tiding would show them the way to Adelaide.

"Now we can follow it," Serene announced in a superior voice, smirking, as she grabbed firmly onto Xavier's hand. She liked the feel of his hand.

"Good girl," Xavier whispered into the child's ear, his voice filled with unmistakable pride.

Serene beamed at the compliment. Maybe Hali would go back to her _own_ home, and Xavier could stay at Atlantica with her!

"Let's go," Hali stifled a sniffle, "the tide tiding is getting away from us."

"Where is it heading?" Merrick questioned, following the bubble's route with his eyes.

"It looks like," Hali began, unsure of herself, "it looks like..."

"The surface!" Serene blurted out.

"Yes," agreed Hali, "it's definitely headed towards the surface.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

OMG! Don't you just want to give Ladon a hug! He's so cute, and sweet... NOT!

Thanks Daughter or Romanov! The idea of following as tide tiding to Adelaide was your idea, several moons ago...

Ah, that Serene. She is so cute, and has the brains to match! Although, she seems to be a bit confused with how things are going with Xavier. Hmm...

Gee did I have an eventful day! First I met a man named Octavious at work, and I was all like, hey, Hali has a cousin by that name! Then, the bank across the street from where I work was robbed a little before noon! The bank was closed off with yellow tape and police cars were everywhere. I wonder if the criminals her apprehended? I hope so! Criminals are bad. Bad like Ladon.

So, tomorrow is my birthday! Don't expect any updates, but you should all be pleased with me right now. I have updated with one chapter the last five consecutive nights!

I would have written more for this chapter, but it's getting late, and I have work tomorrow. So, you must be satisifed with these 1,354 (excluding the Blah Blah Blah) words!

Heaven, I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so, that I can hardly speak,

xJadeRainx

You know, reviews would make the perfect, very inexpensive birthday gift!


	86. Chapter 86: Subconscious Thoughts

**Author's Note: You may wish to reread chapter 74 of this story, as a memory refresher!**

* * *

Ceto slumbered deeply within the confines of the Murken temple, blissfully unaware that the precious thing called life, was escaping her with every droplet of blood that dripped from her ghostly pale arm. Lysander had inflicted upon the priestess a remarkably potent sleeping spell, but the emperor, in his haste to depart from the temple, had forgotten to seal off Ceto's gaping wounds caused from the Serriform Star. As a result, Ceto was loosing blood steadily. Still, the priestess remained unconscious on the hallowed floor of the temple, which was now desecrated with Murken blood. And as Ceto bled, she dreamed.

_Ceto was in the temple beseeching the Ancients for guidance. As she genuflected in front of the high alter, the priestess heard the heavy temple door swing open, but she could not look. Not just yet. Ceto had not yet finished her prayer. Had she left the act half finished, they Ancients would have been highly offended, and the collected spirits of Murkens past were quick to anger. However, when her chant finally ended, the priestess turned to meet the visage of..._

_"Lysander," Ceto breathed, bowing her head in reverence to her emperor._

_When she again lifted her head, Ceto found that Lysander remained exactly where he had been a moment ago, at the temple entrance._

_"I have come to inform you that Ladon is dead," the emperor informed in a grave and serious tone._

_Ceto blinked in confusion. Ladon was dead? Thank the Ancients! Now, she wouldn't have to wed that pathetic excuse of a merman. Ladon was cruel, and painfully boring. Always. Unlike Lysander._

_"D-dead," the priestess stuttered, unable to find eloquent speech._

_"My apologies," Lysander offered his obviously insincere condolences, and turned to leave the temple. Before he could exit completely, Ceto called out to him._

_"Wait!" cried the priestess, "how... how did he die?"_

_"I killed him," answered the emperor plainly._

_'So,' thought Ceto to herself, 'Lysander is my hero. I always knew he would be!'_

_"Ceto?" the emperor sounded distressed, "You have just received news that the one to whom you have been promised has been murdered... by me. And yet, still you smile."_

_The priestess shook her head, in an effort to clear her thoughts. The motion disturbed the headpiece of black pearls that all priestesses wore, and Ceto could hear the tiny strings of pearls clang lightly against each other. She never wanted Ladon. It was an arranged marriage forced upon Ceto by her parents and Tiamat. But none of that mattered now._

_"What of the Blood Moon?" Ceto asked, quite purposefully switching the topic of conversation._

_"Jira's life has been spared," Lysander answered again, although he was regarding her suspiciously._

_The Blood Moon had already risen, which meant that the opportunity of rise Tiamat from the grave had been lost, and quite possibly forever. Tiamat was good leader to Murk, but Lysander... Ceto had never admitted this publicly, but she did feel Lysander could send Murk in a completely different direction. But how could she have voiced such an opinion? she would have been shunned, and branded as a traitor to Murk! But none of that hardly mattered now._

_"And the Atlanticans?" Ceto tried her best to keep the anxiety out of her voice. The only thing that could possibly ruin her chances with Lysander now was that awful Atlantican girl, the girl he had so affectionately nicknamed. Ceto clearly saw the way the emperor gazed at the Atlantican! Why, she almost walked in on the pair sharing a kiss! The memory alone enraged the priestess so, but she kept an impassive facade._

_"They took the child and left," Ceto noticed how the emperor's voice cracked, when delivering his words. Lysander was quite taken with the child he named Jira. Quite attached. He would make a good father someday, and those were few and far between in Murk._

_"What about the girl?" Ceto asked again, but this time the slightest trace of bitterness had crept into her voice._

_"Which girl?" Lysander asked gruffly, seemingly wanting to end the conversation so that he might be on his way._

_"The prisoner," Ceto recounted, "the blonde, the one you named..."_

_"Crickēta?" Lysander spat, as he narrowed his expressive, amber eyes, "She shunned me. She told me that she could never love a merman as evil as me. Then, she took my Jira and left with her true family."_

_"You are not evil, Lysander," Ceto assured the emperor, swimming towards Lysander for the first time since they had begun speaking._

_When the priestess finally reached him, Lysander spoke, and his eyes lightened, "Thank you, Ceto."_

_"Of course," Ceto smiled at him, reassuringly, suggestively._

_Lysander reached out to cup Ceto's pale face in his tanned hands, a stark contrast indeed, but the priestess hardly noticed. Ceto only remained, locking eyes with Lysander. The priestess sighed in contentment, for her deepest secret, her greatest desire would finally come to be._

_"You do not flinch?" Lysander whispered in awe._

_Ceto knew exactly what the emperor was referring to. Countless times, the priestess had shrunk away from his touch, or averted her eyes from his penetrating gaze, but that was not out of disgust. It was never a matter of disgust. Ceto was simply so overcome with guilt at treating Lysander so poorly, that her body would react on its own... a sort of defense mechanism, so she wouldn't have to see the pain in the young emperor's amber colored eyes. But things were different__ now._

_"And I shall never flinch again," Ceto began breathlessly._

_"No?" Lysander seemed almost pleading, as if he were a child, "Do you mean that truly?"_

_Lysander was so desperate for affection, Ceto knew, and she could give him that now._

_"Truly," Ceto answered confidently, taking Lysander's chin in her delicate, white hand._

_And then he kissed her. Finally, he kissed her._

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

I'm going to leave this as a stand alone chapter, even though I did not plan to write it that way. However, I feel the effect of this chapter will be lost if I add another character's perspective. Maybe I will still post another chapter tonight, if I feel inspired enough.

So, did this chapter catch any of you off guard? I know some of you suspected that Ceto had feelings for Lysadner, you smarties! I did too, for that matter, but I wasn't one hundred percent certain, even if I am the creator of this story and characters! All writers know that characters have minds of their own!

I have a question for you my loyal fans! Should I continue with the story from the point I left off (in the previous chapter) or should I head back to Shireland/ Atlantica and see how everyone is getting along? Keep in mind that would extend the story longer than I planned, but you readers should have a say too!

In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked at as something shocking, and now God knows, anything goes!

xJadeRainx


	87. Chapter 87: Plight of Atlantican Royalty

The very restless form of Andrina, tossed and turned beside the body of her sleeping husband. Poor Lamar. All these nights since Serene left with Hali and Merrick to go rescue the baby, Andrina had been keeping her husband awake with her antics. The poor merman must be exhausted if he could sleep through the brunt of Andrina's bedtime acrobatics, now. Andrina lightly rolled over to one side, and snuck a peek at Lamar. He _was_ sleeping. There was no arguing that fact whatsoever, but Andrina had been married to this man long enough to know that it was far from a peaceful slumber. Worry lines marred the outline of Lamar's face, even in his sleep. Her husband had been uncharacteristically quiet these past few weeks, and though Andrina knew he too feared for Serene's safety, he still kept to himself. Did he behave that way as a means to spare her pain, or to prevent her from worrying even more? Probably. That sounded exactly like Lamar. Then, Andrina smiled thankfully, and slowly eased herself off the great clam shell bed she shared with her husband. Lamar needed his rest, and if she remained in bed, she surely would disturb him.

With the greatest care, Andrina reached beneath the seaweed pillow on her side of the bed, to retrieve her secret comfort item. Lately, Andrina had taken to sleeping with Serene's favorite plaything, Darwin, tucked beneath her pillow. When she had freed the stuffed sea horse from his place under the pillow, Andrina hugged Darwin close to her chest, biting back tears, so that she wouldn't wake her husband. Not tonight. Finally, Andrina replaced the toy beneath the pillow, and gave it a loving pat. She would need to find a new hiding place for Darwin soon, though. If Lamar should ever uncover this secret of hers, Andrina would be utterly mortified.

Andrina sighed quietly. She felt that she needed to leave the room for a moment, so that she might clear her mind. Get her bearings straight. Check on Kelvin. Andrina quickly went through the mental list she was forming in her mind. She didn't have anything better to do. With a final deep breath, Andrina silently exited their bedchambers, heading directly to her son's room.

As she reached Kelvin's bedroom, Andrina gingerly pushed open the shell door, and peered inside. Kelvin was lying in his bed, with his back towards his mother. Only his head peeked out of the kelp comforter resting comfortably over his body. Andrina might have entered, but as a big, eight year old boy, Kelvin had made in expressly clear that he neither needed, nor wanted his mother to look over him as he slept. Andrina sighed again. Children grew up so fast. Too fast. When Serene finally returned, Andrina vowed that she would keep the girl at her adorable, childish self, no matter what the cost.

* * *

Meanwhile, a young mermaid was just sneaking back into the castle, after a long night of partying at the Catfish Cabana. Jade could get away with almost anything these days. Both her parents were far too preoccupied, what with Merrick and Cricket off on the rescue mission. That irked her. Jade wanted to be a part of saving Adelaide too! But... really, could she leave her poor suffering parents alone? That would be cruel. Plain and simple. Not to mention that her mother had the added stress of managing Atlantica, because her grandfather wasn't really in the right state of mind for that sort of thing.

Jade continued to gracefully glide through the watery corridors of the castle, towards her room. She had a room all to herself until Cricket returned. Jade frowned, thinking about her sister. How was Cricket doing? She wondered. No one had really heard from Cricket, Merrick, Serene, or Hali... aside from the _very_ few Tide Tidings they actually decided to answer.

The only remotely good thing that resulted from this whole situation, was the unexpected freedom that Jade had found. No one ever noticed that the princess had been spending most every night at the Catfish Cabana. She liked it there. Jade could dance away most of her frustrations through swaying her body to the lively music at the club. The mermaid smirked to herself as she swam to her bedchambers. Why was she smiling? It was a simple enough answer. The remainder of Jade's frustrations found another outlet, in the form of flirting with one particular boy who frequented the Cabana. Shark was hardly the type the princess typically dated, and her parents wouldn't approve for sure, but seeing as they were so concerned with other pressing matters...

Jade was suddenly forced to stop swimming, and duck behind a corner. Was that her Aunt Andrina? Yes, yes, it was her! What was she doing roaming about the castle at this time of night? Jade couldn't afford to have her aunt see her now. Her entire cover would be blown, and that would mean no more late night stays at the Catfish Cabana.

The princess carefully peered around the corner, pushing aside a thick blade of potted kelp. For Neptune's sake! Aunt Andrina was still there, when Jade needed the woman to go back to her room. This was totally unfair. However, just as Jade was beginning to worry, her aunt turned an about face, advancing down the opposite hallway. Jade sighed in relief. That was a close one. She quickly moved to press her back against the wall again, but as she did so, Jade upset the glass pottery, and the entire kelp plant toppled over, and the resulting thud, reverberated loudly down the corridor. The princess immediately cringed at this, for she knew her aunt couldn't have missed the sound if she were deaf. And Jade was correct in that assumption, because Aunt Andrina was at her side in an instant.

* * *

Knock. Knock. Knock. Attina, temporary queen of Atlantica, was only half awakened by and oddly familiar sound, but for the life of her, she simply couldn't place it. Knock. Knock. Knock. There it was again. Attina let out a sleep murmur, and repositioned her head against her husband's chest. Marin felt nice. She could easily fall back to sleep resting on him this way. Knock. knock. Knock. In Neptune's waters! What was that infernal noise?

"Attina?" Marin's voice cracked from sleep.

"Hmm?" Attina voiced, nuzzling closer to his chest.

"Someone's at the door," answered her husband, before he returned to snoring.

Attina sat upright then, and glared at the slumbering Marin. 'Attina, someone's at the door', was code for, 'get up and answer it', she knew that much. Attina would have to make her husband pay dearly for his blatant insensitivity! But first she must deal with whomever was knocking so incessantly at her chamber door. It had better be important, too. Or else...

Rising from the large clam shell bed, Attina swam with lackluster to the door, and opened it, quite perturbed at being roused at this time of night. When the door had swung open to its extent, Attina was shocked to see waiting on the other side, her sister Andrina, and her own daughter, Jade. What exactly was going on here? Jade should be in bed right now. It was long past her curfew, and Attina was virtually militant about curfew.

"Did something happen?" Attina asked, partially expecting to hear some awful piece of news. She poised herself, just in case some horrible misfortune had overcome Merrick, or Cricket, or _both_ of them.

"You should have a talk with your daughter," Andrina sighed, before frowning slightly, and swimming off, probably headed to bed.

Attina stared at Jade unblinking, until the girl finally spoke.

"I stayed out past curfew so that I could party at the Cabana," sighed the princess, in a deflated manner.

"Why would you do that?" Attina whispered in shock. Jade never missed her curfew. Never. She was the angelfish of the family!

"I'm nineteen, Mother," Jade began unhappily, crossing her arms against her chest, "I'm not a child. I don't _need_ a curfew."

Don't need a curfew? Oh, sweet Neptune! What had gotten into the girl. Attina desired nothing more than to shout at the hard headed princess' foolishness, but she did not want to wake Marin again. She did not wish to stir up a big commotion, that was sure to disturb half the castle.

"I'm your mother," Attina hissed, "I know what you need! I know everything."

"Really?" Jade taunted uncharacteristically, "Then, did you know that I have been staying out late most every night at the Cabana with a _boy_, no less."

Attina's face quickly twisted in anger. Jade always brought her boyfriends home. Always. Was the girl coming down with some sickness? Sea Shingles perhaps? The last thing Attina needed at the moment was yet another child to worry about.

"You are to stay home for the next two weeks, young lady," Attina growled seriously, "and that's final."

Where Attina expected to hear a resounding, 'yes, Mom', she instead heard her daughter grumble, "I'm going to bed."

The mother watched as her daughter angrily slipped through the corridor, disappearing behind a sharp corner. Her family was being slowly torn apart from the inside, all thanks to Murk. Then, Attina quietly closed the door with a click, returned to the large clam shell bed, buried her face in her soggy, green pillow, and let out a single sob.

* * *

A dismal King Triton, was yet again facing another simply horrible night. Horrible. The aging king hardly got adequate rest anymore. When he wasn't up half the night, sick with worry, that his youngest daughter, Adelaide, his _baby_, was in constant danger. His darling, precious, little Adelaide was his very last change to get this parenting business done right. She was supposed to have the perfect childhood. The kidnapping had not been part of Triton's plan.

Worse still, the family had only heard briefly from his grandchildren, when they each sent a short Tide Tiding. It had been three days since anyone heard from the children. Not even Ariel had any new information. Triton knew this because his frantic, human legged daughter, had been sending Tidings nonstop, and he would have to answer the poor woman the same way, every time: 'Nothing new.'

Triton squeezed this eyes closed tightly. The king was far too old for this kind of madness. What he wouldn't give for just a few minutes of rest. That was all he asked for. A few short minutes of blissful unconsciousness.


	88. Chapter 88: In the Eerie Red Light

"You God damned ship!" Captain Sam Bennett cried out in a rage, directing all of his present frustrations on the vessel before him, "you can go ahead and sink to the bottom of the ocean, for all I care!"

Sam's chest heaved rapidly in aggravation, as he gazed at the worn shell that was once his beloved _Oak Leviathan_. The blasted ship was just barely floating in the harbor, clinging tightly to its last thread of life. Then, suddenly, Sam was hit with a hot wave of anger. He hated that God awful ship, and to prove it, Sam gave the_ Leviathan's_ hull, a swift kick with his heavy, black boot.

"Haha!" Sam laughed bitterly, "How do you like that?"

And Sam felt better, at least he did for roughly thirty seconds, before the _Leviathan_ sprung an impressive leak.

"Noooo!" the captain moaned dismally, rushing to cover the ship's gushing wound with his hands, "Oh, baby, baby, I'm sorry. I take it back... just please stop bleeding."

Drawing in a long, quivering breath, Sam gingerly removed his hands from the _Leviathan's_ side, only to find that salt water was still trickling relentlessly, from the splintered hole that he himself had created. Sam then brought his hands to his mop of thick, brown hair, and dropped to his knees on the docks. How could this be happening to him, Sam? _Sam_! He was Sam Bennett, for all that was holy in this world! He didn't deserve this. What the hell, man, what the hell?

The captain distinguished a set of heavy footsteps approaching from behind him, but he did not turn his body to look. He didn't have to, either, because after thirteen years of friendship, Sam knew the sound of Piper's walk. He could pick that sound out from anywhere, but what did Piper want from him now?

"Uh... Sam?" his first mate tentatively began, resting a hand awkwardly on the back of the captain's shoulder.

"W-what?" Sam tried to sound gruff, for the sake of protecting his all important manhood, but he unfortunately drew in several jagged breaths, which apparently were clearly noticed by his best friend.

"Are you... crying?" Piper asked incredulously.

"No!" Sam scoffed, highly offended at Piper's accusation, "Sam Bennett never cries! Never!"

"All right, Sam," Piper sighed heavily, "All right."

Salty Sam Bennett turned around then, to face Piper, and sat cross legged on the docks, "How many?" he questioned.

"How many?" Piper repeated, genuinely confused, as he furrowed his dark brow.

Sam stared at his friend for a moment. The light of the eerie red moon reflected off Piper's white shirt, making it look as if the man had dressed himself in pink. Sam would have laughed, poking fun at the slender sailor he knew so well, but he just didn't want to. The captain had a hard time finding humor in anything these days.

"How many more of our men jumped ship?" Sam asked staring upwards at the sky. That red moon was really giving him the creeps.

"Two," Piper answered honestly, "Decker and Hefty. They found a ship that's leaving port tomorrow morning. The captain gave them both jobs."

"That makes seven of our crew so far," Sam remarked, never taring his eyes from the rising red moon, "you aren't going to abandon me, are you, Piper?"

"No, Salty, I'm not going to abandon you," Piper assured the captain, pulling the reluctant man to his feet, "but we need to figure out what to do. If this keeps up much longer, we're going to lose the entire crew... well, maybe except for Spider. That kid worships the ground you walk on."

"Yeah, he does," Sam stated plainly, reminiscent of his old, cocky self.

Piper rolled his brown eyes at the captain, before speaking again, "Seriously though, Sam, we're all sailors... it's our lively hoods. None of us know how to do anything else."

"I know that..." Sam snipped, before being abruptly cut off by his friend.

"Sam," Piper began seriously, "we're completely out of money. We were supposed to bring silks from Japan to London. We were supposed to carry coffee beans from South America to Spain. All those goods are still on that piece of crap ship!" the first mate cried pointing a finger at the _Leviathan_.

The captain glared angrily at Piper, clinching his fists at his side. Sam knew all of this already. Just what was Piper trying to tell him? But in any case, he simply couldn't stand around and let Piper insult his ship like that!

"Don't talk about her that way," growled Sam, crossing his arms roughly across his chest.

Piper shook his head, "Look, Sam, if we don't get back into the trading business soon, we're all going to starve."

Sam stood there for a moment brooding over anything and everything, before shoving his hands in his pockets. He fished around for a minute before his fingers finally clasped around the object he was searching for. Pulling out a rather sorry looking money pouch, Sam tossed the bag at Piper's feet, and it landed with a light, metallic clang. Piper stared at the pouch quizzically for several seconds, before he stooped low to pick up the item resting comfortably at his feet.

"Where did you get this?" Piper asked, pulling open the draw string.

"I got..." Sam paused to grimace, "I got a job."

"A job?" Piper echoed in shock, "Doing what?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Sam brushed off, "just divvy up the money between the crew we have left. In the meantime I'll think of something to do about our... problem."

"Sam?" Piper asked, his voice growing in concern, "Are you going to be all right?"

"Just... just go," sighed Sam, "I need to find some tar to patch up this hole," the captain gestured to the gaping chasm in the _Leviathan's_ side, that was still gushing seawater.

And then Sam left.

* * *

A lonely Marshall sat quietly in his modest cabin home. His half eaten supper, now cold, still lay on the kitchen table, and the pots and pans used for cooking, still littered the stove top. Currently, the aging stable hand was seated in a rather uncomfortable wooden chair, overlooking one of the log cabin's few windows. Marshall remained that way, with his chin firmly implanted in his large palms, as he took in the sight of the rising moon. The man could honestly say that never before in his life, had he ever seen a red moon.

Marshall sighed heartbroken, as he ran his fingers thorough his quickly graying hair, and pushed himself to his feet. His entire body felt heavy lately. The man stretched his arms over his head, but almost instantly brought them to an aching pain in his lower back. Marshall wasn't as young as he used to be. That was why he needed Xavier's help in the stables. Xavier. The poor man hadn't seen or heard from his son in weeks now. Marshall had never been terribly good at expressing his feelings, especially not after his dear Ami passed away, but he promised himself that when Xavier returned, he would treat the boy more warmly than he had, recently. _If _ Xavier ever returned, that was...

Shaking his head, Marshall retired to his bedroom. It was unlikely that he would get much sleep, but the man could at least try. As Marshall laid his head against the pillow, he felt a hot tear trail down his stubble covered cheek. Tomorrow was the two year anniversary of his wife's death, and Marshall was all alone.

* * *

Ariel leaned against the railing of her balcony, and the chill night air blew her red locks wildly about her face. She frowned at the red moon, as she pulled her pink, silk robe tighter around her body. It may be summer, but it was always a bit chilly near the seaside, particularly at night. Ariel took in a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air, and sighed... again. The queen had been doing a lot of sighing lately. She was miserable.

Then, Ariel shivered, but this time it wasn't from the cold, but that horrible moon. Ariel had watched, as each night the moon grew redder and redder, and although the moon was only just rising, she could tell it was blood red. A bad omen, she thought. It was most definitely a bad omen.

Shireland's queen bit her lower lip, unconsciously. Ariel was frustrated, hurt, panicked, exhausted... but who could she share these feelings with? Eric was gone. He had left for Alascot the day before yesterday. Something about signing a trade agreement between the two kingdoms. Ariel wasn't really paying attention to Eric when her husband was explaining to her the reasoning behind his trip. But who could blame the beloved queen? The woman had other pressing matters eating away at her mind. Although, Ariel knew somewhere in the back of her brain, that she couldn't truly expect Shireland's politics to come to a dead standstill just because Hali was missing. And Melody... Melody had returned to Westland with Lance, and their new baby girl. In short, Ariel was alone, or at least she felt alone. She felt... empty.

* * *

Ever so carefully, Princess Melody of Westland placed her infant daughter down in the ornate oak wood cradle her husband had personally commissioned. Only, the princess had not the heart to admire it's beauty. She was tired. That little monster, people called a baby girl, had some personal vendetta against sleeping, and when Karah was up, so was Melody. Okay, fine, she happened to love that little monster unconditionally, but that was no excuse for her to keep the frazzled mother up at nights.

Melody quietly tipped-toed to her own bed, resting prominently in the middle of the room. The bed was empty. Melody flipped over the royal comforter in an annoyed kind of fashion, and slipped into bed. Lance was still tied up in that meeting being held in his father's conference chambers, and it was his turn to take care of the baby tonight, too! Figures. Then, Melody rolled over to her side, facing the window and her blue eyes opened wide in surprise. There was an eerie, red light seeping in through the lace curtains. What on Earth could that possibly be? Resolving to find out, Melody emancipated herself from the bulky comforter, and advanced straight to the window. The Princess didn't even hesitate, as she pushed aside the delicate curtain, which incidentally she hated, but her mother-in-law insisted upon them, and she was met with quite a shock. Was that a red moon rising over the horizon? Melody swallowed hard, turned the handle of the French doors that separated their room from the balcony, and stepped outside. Yes, it was in fact a red moon... a blood red moon.

Suddenly, Melody's entire body was seized by a queer feeling. What was it? Dread? Melody wasn't quite sure, but she did know one thing. She couldn't take this madness anymore. First thing tomorrow, both she and Karah were going to board a carriage headed to Shireland, and they weren't coming back until Hali returned, and safely. Lance could protest all he wanted, but he wasn't going to chance her mind on the subject.


	89. Chapter 89: Mounting Tensions

The group of makeshift rescuers watched intently as the serene little bubble drifted easily towards the surface, and as they watched, it became clear that the Tide Tiding's route was direct... it had a purpose... it knew exactly where it was going. Adelaide was above the surface. There was no disputing that idea now.

Suddenly, Serene darted away from them, and propelled her small body forward, cutting through the water hastily, to the surface.

"Serene, wait!" Merrick cried, giving chase after the rogue child.

"Wasting time!" the little mermaid called back to the companions she had left in her wake, "gotta save Adelaide, now!"

Merrick was still pursuing Serene, which left only Hali, Cricket, and Xavier alone at the mouth of the Western Trench. Then, with a heavy sigh, and giving her cousin a deliberate cold shoulder, Cricket too began swimming quickly towards the surface.

"Cricket!" Hali called after her, "Cricket!"

However, Cricket did not respond to the Guardian, despite the fact that it was obvious she clearly heard Hali's every last word.

This time, Hali let a sigh escape her throat, "She'll get over it eventually, right, Xavier? Cricket will come to understand that what I did was for the best... for Adelaide..."

"Actually, Hali," Xavier grimaced, "I can't help but wonder if you were a little too hasty in your decision. I tried to warn you but..."

Xavier had to stop speaking, then, because it literally looked as if Hali was moments away from bursting into tears... because of what _he_ had said, and he didn't want that.

"Well, Hali, it can't be changed," Xavier began, "you're going to have to deal with the consequences sooner or later, but first, we have a baby to save."

Hali's lower lip quivered, and Xavier took her by the hand. He loved Hali truly, but Xavier simply couldn't bring himself to feel bad for her... she never even gave that poor guy... Lysander... a chance to explain himself.

"Come on," the stable hand said gently, "Serene's right. We're wasting time."

With that, Xavier began pulling Hali along, to the surface. The two were only swimming for a short while, when Hali unexpectedly cried out in pain, and Xavier could feel her hand slipping away from his. He desperately tried to hold on tighter, but soon the last of Hali's fingers were torn away from his grip. With a pounding heart, Xavier turned his body around wildly, to see what exactly had just happened.

What Xavier saw, chilled him right down to the bone. There was Hali, ensnared by the legs of one of those horrible sea spiders. The gargantuan creature was actually trying to pull Hali into the trench with it, and although she was struggling admirably, it was clear that Hali was doomed to loose this match.

"Hali!" Xavier screamed in panic, as he raced towards her. He didn't know what to do, but he did know that he had to save her. He just had to!

However, soon stopped swimming, when he heard his fiancée again cry out in pain. Xavier's body froze in his panic, as he saw two more of the giant spiders slowly crawl out of the trench. Just how many sea spiders were in there! Then one of the newly arrived spiders attacked the beast holding Hali, and the two hairy monster commenced in battle. Oh, mon Dieu. They were fighting over Hali, no they were fighting over...a meal.

Xavier raced to her then. He wasn't going to loose Hali... not this way, but as he swam to her, Hali called out.

"Xavier, no!" she cried, whimpering in pain, "stay away... they'll get you too!"

But Xavier ignored her. Did Hali honestly think that he would leave her here... alone... to die? The girl was out of her mind.

* * *

_Titanic Tip and Daring Dash,  
Adventurers slash explorers._

_Our gallant quest  
To do our best,  
And Smile  
For our adorers._

Sebastian was seated on a floating iceberg at the surface, as the annoying, singing walrus and penguin team swam around the iceberg in circles. They had been going at if for hours now, and Sebastian was on the verge of loosing his patience. He should have taken his chances with the hungry looking krakens.

"Would ya two please stop it, mon?" the little, red crab growled, tapping his legs against the ice.

"You're right, Crabby," acknowledged Tip, "we need to do something heroic!

"Something daring!" Dash added, nodding his large, blubbery head.

"No, no, no!" Sebastian argued, "we not gonna do anyting until Hali says so, mon, and dats final."

"But a couple of adventures slash explorers like ourselves can't sit idly during a rescue mission!" Tip challenged, defending his gallant honor.

_Titanic Tip and Daring Dash,  
Adventurers slash explorers._

_Our gallant quest  
To do our best,  
And Smile  
For our adorers._

"Shut up, mon, shut up!"

"Well, that was rude," Dash remarked, looking rather hurt.

"I guess he's called a crab for a reason," Tip whispered into Dash's ear, but Sebastian heard it anyway.

"Will ya two sea clowns stop it, and listen!" Sebastian ordered in a harsh whisper.

And so they all stopped to listen. A few miles off from their iceberg, a suspicious looking merman was talking angrily to himself, shouting at the sky. He held something in his arms, but from that distance, and their current vantage point, it was impossible to judge what the item was.

"Can you hear what he's saying?" asked Dash curiously.

"No, mon."

"Me neither," Tip began, suddenly snapping into serious mode, "let's get closer."

"No..." Sebastian wanted to protest, but it was too late. The walrus and the penguin had already left, "dis can't be good," the crab grumbled to himself, chasing after them.

Several minutes later, Sebastian and the two rescuers slash explores had ducked behind a nearby iceberg, and were now close enough to hear and see everything pertaining to the suspicious Murken.

"I cannot believe this!" the Murken growled, "I'm running out of time! The Blood Moon is rising, and it's completely covered by clouds!"

"Dat's Adelaide, mon!" Sebastian whispered urgently, referring to the infant in the Murken's hold.

"Who ever taught him how to hold a baby?" Tip asked sarcastically, seeing as the Murken only had Adelaide tucked roughly underneath his arm.

"This is all your fault!" the Murken snarled at the child, grabbing her by two hands so that he could shake the poor thing.

"Is he seriously blaming a _baby_?" Dash gasped in surprise, "How... how could he do something like that?"

"Hush," Sebastian ordered, "ya both drownin' out his voice, mon."

And so, they all stopped to listen again.

"Ceto said the skies needed to be clear in order to drain your full power, halfling, and just look!"

"Drain her power?" Sebastian whispered.

"What does that mean?" questioned Dash.

"I don't no, mon, now hush."

"Your _full_ power..." the Murken repeated pensively, "well, halfing, you have the greatest power level the history of Murk has ever seen."

"I don't like where dis is headin', mon," Sebastian began, his knobby legs knocking together.

"Me neither," the two rescuers slash explores replied simultaneously.

"Quiet," warned Sebastian, "he's speaking again."

"I'm sure whatever I can drain from you would be at least twice Lysander's power level," the Murken began in an unmistakably evil tone of voice, "even if the Blood Moon is covered in haze."

"Wait a minute..." Sebastian cautiously began, "what exactly is he doin'?"

The three companions watched in horror, as the evil Murken reached at a pouch attached to his waist and pulled out a sacrificial dagger, only to place the blade against Adelaide's soft, little neck.

"NO!" Dash roared in a battle cry, as he rushed towards the offending Murken, who obviously, was caught completely off guard.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah **

Well, this was intense. Hali's being attacked by giant sea spiders, while Xavier is completely unable to help. Ladon is just about ready to slice open little Adelaide's throat. Gosh, you must hate me right now.

So, I have a couple of thanks to give out.

First: Thank you Princess Cricket for noticing how everyone in the last chapter was looking at the rising Blood Moon. I purposely wrote that for symbolism and imagery. I am ever so glad you noticed!

Second: Thank you Converse r life for noticing the bit about Sam's getting a job, I hoped someone would! Whatever could his mysterious, new job be? Well, given that Sam is such a secretive guy, I doubt we will ever find out.

Keep reading!

How lucky can one guy be? I kissed her and she kissed me,

xJadeRainx


	90. Chapter 90: Wounded

It appeared that the monstrous sea spider, hell bent on defending its meal, was having a difficult time doing just that, with two of its legs wrapped around Hali's torso, so the creature set her down momentarily, to continue it's battle with the meal stealing enemy. Hali was hanging onto the trench, for dear life, and Xavier spotted his chance. He raced the rest of the way to Hali... if he was fast enough, Xavier could get her out of there before any of the spiders noticed she was gone.

"Hali, take my hand," Xavier ordered, frantically reaching out to her.

"No, Xavier," Hali maintained, "There are too many of them. Just go, please."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," Xavier replied incredulously, "How could you ever think I would?"

"I can take care of myself, really," Hali began bravely, "I just need to get hold of my spell book."

"Where is it?" Xavier asked hurriedly, "I'll get it for you."

Hali winced, and Xavier couldn't tell it if was out of pain, or something else entirely.

"I... I dropped it. It's at the bottom of the trench," Hali answered him forlornly.

Swell. Could the situation become anymore bleak? Xavier carefully peered over the edge of the Western Trench, and what he saw, was dozens of the tremendous sea spiders crawling along the bottom, scrambling to find a way up the trench. Mon Dieu. Each individual creature, was literally chomping at the bit in anticipation. Xavier needed to get Hali away from there, immediately.

"Take my hand, now!" Xavier shouted, this time.

However, instead of hearing his fiancée's reply, Xavier heard Hali scream again. The third sea spider, that had previously been watching the occurring battle impartially, decided to snatch up Hali for its own dinner, while its rivals were currently engaged in battle, and began dragging the poor girl into the dark, giant spider filled abyss.

"Hali, no!" Xavier cried out in a panic.

Xavier's mind raced. He needed to think up a way to save her. But how? What could he do? Xavier's mind was an absolute blank. He was... he was helpless... useless.

"Xavier, look out!"

At the sound of Hali's shrill, blood curdling scream, Xavier looked up, only to see the victor of the sea spider death match, advancing on him now. As it reached one of it's razor sharp legs towards him, Xavier shut his eyes tightly. There was nothing left for him to do. Finally, the sea spider took hold of him, gashing his flesh in the process, and Xavier realized that he didn't want to die. He still had an entire life to live out with Hali! There had to be a way out of this...

Before Xavier could think of anything else, a beam of white hot light seared straight through the sea spider, killing the beast instantly, and in hit the sandy banks with a loud, reverberating thud. Xavier sighed, as he crawled from under the crumpled heap... a pile of twisted sinew was all that remained of the sea spider. Somehow, someway, Hali must have gotten to her spell book. Thank God for that! Xavier turned, fully expecting to see Hali behind him... but no. He could still hear Hali screaming, as the spider continued to drag her into the trench. But this... this didn't make any sense. If Hali didn't kill that spider... who did?

Looking around wildly, Xavier's eyes finally spotted a familiar looking merman in the distance. If Xavier didn't know any better, he would have sworn it was that Lysander character, but Hali had the kraken kill him. They all heard her issue the order...

Then, Hali screamed again, and Xavier returned his attention to his fiancée. Xavier's eyes burned with hot tears. He needed to help her. Xavier would have to go into the trench, after her, then. It was his last remaining option.

Only, before he could even do that, the strange merman in the distance charged towards him, shouting, "Do not go near there! They will eat you alive!"

When the merman reached him, Xavier could tell for sure... he was staring directly into Lysander's unusual, deep set amber eyes.

"But... but Hali," Xavier stuttered, gesturing to the trench, where his still screaming fiancée was being dragged to her untimely death, "she's going to... I have to..."

Lysander roughly pushed Xavier aside, and peered into the trench, himself, before uttering, "Gaismas šķēpu!"

As soon at the words left the Murken's mouth, another spear of white hot light, pierced the soft body of the spider that had captured Hali, and the unfortunate creature was blown into several, oozing pieces. Xavier's initial reaction was that of relief, until he realized that Hali had been rendered unconscious from the explosive spell, and had fallen the rest of the way to the bottom of the trench. The bottom of the trench... exactly where dozens of hungry sea spiders were awaiting a nice, fresh meal.

"What did you do!" Xavier bellowed angrily at the Murken, "she's going to die!"

"Silence," ordered Lysander, rubbing his temples, before casting a second spell, "Seno, aizsargātu meitene."

Xavier watched in amazement, as each of the sea spiders creeping about the deep trench, retreated to a far corner, avoiding Hali as if she was made of a lethal poison. It was an odd sight, but Xavier wasn't going to complain about that... not at all.

The stable hand continued to stare at Lysander curiously, until the Murken finally spoke.

"There is no need to worry. They will not touch her," Lysander explained.

"Why would you save her... save us, like that... after what we did to you?"

"Your leader was hasty in her judgment," the Murken began, "but I do not begrudge her that. I did not exactly give her good reason to trust me."

"I... I..." Xavier was so at a loss for words, he couldn't even think up a proper thank you. Cricket was right. If Lysander was indeed the man behind Adelaide's kidnapping, he had certainly changed, now.

"You look stunned?" Lysander remarked.

"Well... yes, I guess I am," Xavier breathed, again looking into the trench. Hali was still lying unconscious at the bottom, and the sea spiders were still all crowded to one corner of the trench. Xavier needed to go to her now.

Almost as if the Murken could read his thoughts, Lysander spoke, "Stay here. I will retrieve the girl."

Before Xavier could protests this, Lysander had already ventured deeply into the trench. A mere few minutes later, Lysander emerged with Hali draped limply across his arms. He then laid Hali along the sandy ocean floor, and Xavier immediately rushed to her side.

"I found her grimoire at the bottom," Lysander spoke, laying the book beside her.

Xavier heard the Murken, for sure, but his words simply did not register.

"She's injured," Xavier whispered, his heart literally feeling as if it were about to break.

"Fear not," Lysander began, as he placed his hands over Hali's battered body, "I can heal her."

_Salāpīt viņas brūces_.

Xavier exhaled a deep breath that he had been holding, as Hali's azure eyes finally fluttered open. The scrapes, bumps, gashes and bruises that had once littered her entire body had all been reduced greatly, thanks to Lysadner's healing spell. Hali owed him her life.

"Xavier?" Hali groaned.

"I'm right here, ma chérie."

"You saved me," Hali managed a weak smile.

"Non," Xavier shook his head, tenderly brushing a lock of fiery hair away from her face, "Lysander did."

* * *

The steal of Ladon's sharp blade grazed the surface of the pitiful halfling's throat, and blood instantly began to trickle out of the wound. The sacrifice, much to Ladon's irritation, let out an ear splitting scream. Why did the little brat always insist of crying so? It was far beyond annoying. Ladon shook his head for a moment, as he blocked the child's screams from his mind. It wouldn't matter now. All Ladon need do, was make the cut a little deeper and the crying would cease... permanently.

As the Murken prepared to dig his blade further into the halfling's throat, Ladon was distracted by a very peculiar sound. It was a sort of high pitched tone, the likes Ladon had never heard before... but just from where was this noise originating? Was it possible this foreign sound was somehow a result of the Blood Moon? If that was so, Ceto had completely forgotten to mention that. Bah, Ceto, that traitor! When Ladon had stolen all the halfling's power, he would make sure the priestess pay with her life. Ignoring the noise completely now, Ladon again prepared to slice through the sacrifice's delicate neck... but wait. Was that a bubble gliding towards him? Air bubbles simply did not rise out of the ocean and float on air... and just why was it singing to him? It was this bubble that was making the mysterious noise the entire time! Ladon attempted to rupture the bubble, but the damned thing avoided his touch at all costs. How very strange, indeed.

"Enough of this," Ladon snarled to himself, "I have not the time!. Halfling, now you die!"

However, before the Murken could make the cut, the sacrifice reached out one tiny index finger, and pooped the formerly impenetrable bubble. But, how could that be? Ladon himself couldn't destroy the daemon bubble! The halfling truly _was_ a powerful being! Only, there was nothing within the realm of the Ancients' that would prepare Ladon for what would occur next. The singing bubble began to speak.

"_Hi, Adelaide. It's Serene. I miss you. Please, don't be scared_."

Utter confusion. That would accurately describe Ladon's facial expression at the end of the bubble's speech. Who was Adelaide? And exactly what did this bubble have to do with the halfling sacrifice? What ever the case, Ladon knew that he needed to act quickly. The Blood Moon was now directly overhead, and if he didn't strike soon, he would loose his opportunity forever. The desperate Murken raised his blade for a final time, when...

"NO!" an unfamiliar voice cried with an unmistakable rage.

Turning his head in the direction of the unknown voice, Ladon's eyes grew wide with shock. Was that a deranged walrus rushing at him? What in Ancient's cause was going on, here?

Before Ladon could act any further, though, the walrus slammed its huge body into him, full force, and the sacrifice was flung out of his arms, and into the sea. Dammit! He wasn't finished with the little brat yet!

* * *

The very moment the merbaby's tiny form sunk into the ocean, Dash chased after her. The poor little thing was still crying. Of course she was! She was injured, and her neck was bleeding. Thankfully, the wound was not very deep, but Dash needed to get the child back to her family immediately. Hali... or Merrick... one of them would know what to do.

"Don't worry, Adelaide," Dash soothed, having tucked the baby lovingly between one flipper, "I promise you'll be safe now."

Then, the walrus descended deeper into the icy water. Not only did Dash need to deliver Adelaide safely to her family, he needed to put as much distance between them, the surface, and that crazy Murken, as quickly as possible.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

This chapter has got me frustrated. I so wanted to write more, so that this story might actually end, but this chapter is already over two thousand words, and I shouldn't let you, my loyal fans suffer any more than need be. I have come to terms with the fact that I am THE worst author on the face of the planet, and I apologize for that grievance profusely. So, friends, it is my goal to end my story in no more than one hundred chapters. This means, that from here on out, you can expect to be reading some long chapters. I hope you'll like them, and I can use your loving words, support, and encouragement. REVIEW!

Five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes,

xJadeRainx


	91. Chapter 91: Examples of Stubbornness

Surely, the plight the Guardian had recently undergone, left her feeling fatigued, and understandably shaken, because there was no way Hali had just heard Xavier correctly. That Murken criminal wouldn't be terrorizing her family any longer.

"W-what?" groaned Hali groggily, still lying flat on her back along the sandy floor.

"Lysander," Xavier repeated, just as he had before, "Lysander cast a spell to rescue you."

This time, Hali quickly forced herself to a sitting position, which, she discovered was ultimately a bad idea, for her head spun dizzily.

"Ah-ah," Xavier tutted at her, guiding Hali's back with his strong, yet gentle hands,"easy, easy."

When the Guardian finally regained her bearings, Hali noticed for the first time, the awful Murken kidnapper who had stolen her family's livelihood. How was it possible that Lysander was still among the living? Hali had personally ordered Ketea to destroy him, and the kraken had no choice but to comply. The two were bound to one another!

Suddenly, the Murken began swimming towards her, and Hali immediately recoiled, inching closer to Xavier for safety.

Before Lysander could even swim five strokes, Hali cried, "Stay away from me! Just leave my family alone!"

"Hali!" Xavier warned, grabbing her chin in his hands, and looking directly into the girl's azure eyes, "Lysander _saved_ you. You need to understand that. Hali, you owe him your_ life_."

"But I..." Hali stumbled over her own words, "but he... Honestly, Xavier, how can we possibly trust him after everything he has done to my family!"

There was no way, absolutely no way, that Hali was going to befriend that... that... that fiend! Lysander was a monster, and the very reason why dear, little Adelaide was in mortal danger. Now, that was unforgivable. But... why was Xavier behaving so strangely? He was acting like Lysander was some sort of hero. Lysander wasn't a hero! He was the exact opposite of a hero! What did that no good Murken do to her fiancé? Xavier had been brainwashed by Lysander. Yes, that had to be it. The Murken had done the same to poor Xavier, as he had done to unsuspecting Cricket. Oh, that was it... Hali was going to _kill_ this guy.

"Listen to me, Hali," Xavier began without the slightest hint of humor in his voice, "Lysander saved you life, and you're going to give the man a chance to explain himself, understand?"

What the hell? Was Xavier actually ordering Hali around like a parent might do to a child? Nobody spoke to the magnificent Hali in that sort of fashion. Xavier must apologize for such an outrage!

"I don't think so," snorted Hali, crossing her arms roughly against her chest.

Apparently, Hali's loving fiancé did not particularly care for her hostile response, and growled, "Hali, be quite, and listen to what Lysander has to say."

"Actually," the Murken cut in, "we really haven't the time for all this at the moment. I will be more than happy to attempt to explain my motives at the earliest convenience, but Jira requires our immediate attention. There is no telling what Ladon has planned in his twisted excuse for a mind..."

"Who is Jira, exactly?" Hali interrupted Lysander's long winded speech, completely unamused.

"My apologies," Lysander bowed his head respectfully, "Jira is my name for..."

"Well," Hali snapped, straitening her body, "you can save whoever this Jira person is. Right now, Xavier and I have to rescue Adelaide, no thanks to you."

With an exaggerated 'humph', Hali scooped up her spell book that was partially buried beneath the sand, and darted upwards through the icy water. She was fathoms below at the moment, which meant that Hali was in for a little bit of a swim.

* * *

Shaking his head, Xavier watched the figure of his fiancée grow smaller and smaller, as she hastily made her way to the surface. What a stubborn, hardheaded little woman, Hali could be. Xavier sighed once, before looking over his shoulder to his left. Lysander was still there, and looking rather somber, yet at the same time, extremely serious. The stable hand couldn't exactly tell why, but for one inexplicable reason or another, Xavier trusted the Murken. Hali could use Lysander's help... even if she didn't know, or care to admit it.

"Come on," Xavier ordered their new found... ally? Whatever. He had more pressing things to worry about than giving Lysander a title, at the moment, "let's go."

Hali wasn't too far ahead of them. If they hurried, both he and Lysander would be able to catch up with the fiery tempered girl in no time at all. Xavier did not even wait for the Murken to respond, but sped after Hali in hot pursuit. He didn't trust leaving that woman alone right now... she might do something reckless. Something reckless... like making deals with vampires. Xavier shuddered momentarily at the memory of Lilith. What was he supposed to tell Hali when all this was finally over? Maybe...

Xavier's train of thought was abruptly interrupted, when the Murken's smooth voice found its way to his ears, "You are ruminating... quite intensely, actually. Is there something bothering you? Perhaps I can help? "

The stable hand smiled slightly to himself, though the action was obviously not out of amusement, "I'll tell you later."

* * *

Daring Dash, rescuer slash explorer, and walrus extraordinaire, desperately pushed his eighteen hundred pound body through the water, descending at a rapid pace. The crying Adelaide was still tucked gently beneath his right flipper, and Dash was as anxious as ever to return the poor child to her family as soon as possible. There was no telling what that crazy Murken they had seen at the surface was going to do next. It appeared that they had stumbled upon the kidnapper himself. Dash was glad to be helping Hali and the others in this way. He was a real hero. This was it, redemption!

As Dash focused his every thought into getting the baby far, far away from the surface, he did not notice that he had completely swam past a group of frazzled looking merfolk, who appeared to be just as fervently making their way to the surface. The walrus didn't even think to slow down, or even turn around, before he heard a small voice call out to him.

"Sir Sparkle Tusks!"

Now, Dash recognized that voice. It was Serene! And that meant...

"Adelaide!" Serene's childish voice cried out again, "He's got Adelaide!"

Upon hearing this, Dash did an immediate about face, and swam directly towards the rescue squad, being head by the very responsible Merrick... though he didn't see Hali or Xavier anywhere. The walrus hoped against hopes that nothing dreadful had befallen the two lovers.

"I was just looking for you," Dash informed, as he finally reached the group.

"Well then, it looks like we found each other," Merrick began, holding out his arms for the screaming Adelaide.

"Oh, dear Neptune," Cricket gasped, horrified, "she's bleeding. The poor thing."

"The wound isn't very deep," Dash promised the concerned family members, as he relinquished custody of the child to the merman, "I got to her just in time."

Dash watched as Merrick reached into his knapsack, and pulled out some kelp bandaging to dress Adelaide's wound. Although it was true that the cut wasn't life threatening, it still required some kind of medical attention. Merrick was a wise merman to treat the child so promptly, and Dash respected that.

"What happened to her?" Cricket demanded, taking the bandaged child from Merrick. Much to the walrus's relief, little Adelaide seemed to have calmed down considerably since her wound had been taken care of.

"Well," Dash attempted to explain, "Tip, Sebastian and I were at the surface, when we saw this crazed Murken... I suspect he is the kidnapper, talk to himself about draining Adelaide's power, and when I saw him put a dagger against her throat... I just charged at him. And that's how I rescued her."

"Draining Adelaide's power?" Merrick echoed, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "Whoever that was, he wasn't the kidnapper."

"No?" Dash asked concerned. He was almost certain he had tagged the Murken correctly, but if he wasn't the one who kidnapped Adelaide... then who did?

"Do you see!" Cricket suddenly shrieked, causing everyone in the company to jerk in surprise, "Lysander was trying to warn us about the true villain, but Hali just had to go and murder him without rhyme or reason! I'll never forgiver her, never!"

Poor, blubbery Dash was confused. What exactly had he missed, while he was waiting at the surface?

It looked as if Merrick was about to say something Cricket was bound to dislike, but rethought his approach and said something entirely different, "Where is Hali, anyway... and Xavier too, for that matter? They should have caught up to us by this point?"

"I... I don't know," Cricket admitted, and Dash could have sworn that he heard some worry creep into the mermaid voice, "I thought they were right behind me when I left... I was so angry, so hurt... I didn't even look back at either of them."

"All right," Merrick sighed, looking quite exhausted from an extreme lack of sleep, "the important thing is that we have Adelaide. She's safe now. Let's all go back and look for Hali and Xavier. When we find them, we can all leave for Atlantica. Agreed?"

Cricket nodded, as did Dash, and even baby Adelaide made a peculiar little noise that conveyed she too wanted to help search, and Serene... well, Serene simply pointed her petite finger somewhere in the distance, as everyone turned to the general area she had indicated.

"Well," Serene bubbled, "it looks like we won't have to look very far. They're right over there! But... Um... who's that swimming with them?"

* * *

Cricket's heart could have skipped a thousand beats, in that single moment, when she first caught a glimpse of Lysander's face. She was seeing things. It was her grief playing delusional tricks on her. Lysander was... Lysander was dead. The karken had crushed him to death, she had seen it with her own eyes! Well, in actuality, Cricket never saw the karken that Hali called Ketea dispatch Lysander, before Merrick swept her away from the catacombs by force... could it be possible that he had escaped? He must have. Lysander was right there! Although, he was swimming alongside Hali and Xavier, which was unusual to say the least. Cricket didn't know what was going on at the moment, but there was only one way to find out.

The young mermaid carefully handed Adelaide back to Merrick, so that she could have her hands free again.

"Lysander!" Cricket cried out, swimming lightning fast to a semi-confused looking half Murken, "Lysander!"

Within the span of a few short minutes, Cricket had closed the decent sized gap between them, and flung her arms around Lysander's tanned neck.

"You're alive," she murmured, nuzzling her face between his shoulder blade. If Cricket would have only glanced up at the merman for a moment, she might have seen Lysander hugely perplexed facial expression, but she didn't glance; she merely nuzzled.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah**

Okay, so from here on out, my chapters will be a minimum of 1800 words, and a maximum of 2000ish words (excluding the Blah Blah Blah, of course). Even so, I think i will go past my goal of no more than 100 chapters. Tell me, is that a good or bad thing?

Follow this link. It's of vital importance! (No spaces)

h t t p : / / www. karaokeplay. c om/recordings/i-will-sing-2069149. html

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it!

xJadeRainx


	92. Chapter 92: For the Love of the Ancients

The Emperor of Murk blinked rapidly in his confusion. What was Crickēta doing? Was she... hugging him? In all the eighteen years of Lysander's life, he had never before come into intimate contact with another being... not even so much as a handshake... well, except perhaps for a beautiful, kind nursemaid Lysander once had as a child, but he barely even remembered her now. Whatever happened to her? He wondered.

Lysander shook his head forcefully, as his thoughts returned to Crickēta, who still had her arms secured lovingly around his neck. He enjoyed the feel of Crickēta... the warmth of her body, the smoothness of her skin. Lysander truly believed that he could remain this way with Crickēta for an eternity, and be wholly content. That was, until the emperor noticed the sharp, dagger like glare that was being given to him by Crickēta's older brother. The look on the merman's face alone, was enough to instill fear into Lysander's newly reformed heart. The emperor wasn't exactly sure why Crickēta's brother made him feel so uneasy, but Lysander didn't care to take any chances at the moment. Atlanticans were prodigiously protective over their kin; Lysander had experienced that first hand. So, the emperor thought it the most prudent, to gingerly unwind Crickēta's limbs from around his neck, and purposefully put some distance between their two bodies.

"Crickēta," Lysander whispered to her, as he felt his cheeks blazing, a rare occurrence for the emperor, "your entire family is watching us intently."

His amber gaze flickered to each of the faces belonging to Crickēta's relations. First, there was the one called Merrick, who sported an impassive face that Lysander found himself unable to read. Then there was Hali, who appeared to be greatly annoyed with his sheer presence, and of course her fiancé, Xavier, who Lysander came to know was his only advocate, aside from Crickēta. There was also a young merchild, if Lysander's memory served correctly, called Serene, and she, oddly enough, had pure mischief dancing in her eyes. Lastly, there was a randomly out of place walrus, that appeared to be observing them all with the greatest interest.

"Oh... ha-ha, right," Crickēta acknowledged, blushing herself, while nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

"For crying out loud!" the blond merchild with a ruby red tail interjected, to everyone's surprise, "Just kiss already!"

Once again, Lysander's cheeks bloomed with an embarrassing shade of pink, and from the corner of his eye, he could tell Crickēta had done the same. Now, this was an emotion Lysander disliked... it left him feeling so exposed... so helpless. And an emperor such as himself, should never have to experience sensations like that.

"Serene!" Crickēta shouted at the child in irritation, clenching her fists into tight little balls, "mind your own business!"

Lysander couldn't help but think Crickēta looked entirely adorable, with her fists balled, and her face red from either anger or embarrassment. He had developed some odd feelings for Crickēta in an astonishingly short amount of time. Was that typically how things went in the outside world? Having grown up within the secluded waters of Murk, had put Lysander behind socially, and the constant ostracizing from his own people didn't help at all, in that respect. In short, the emperor still had a lot to learn, in way of relationships.

As Lysander observed Crickēta interact with her relations, he couldn't help but smile to himself. They behaved so... Well, Lysander didn't know how to describe the scene unfolding before his very eyes. No one in Murk ever acted in such ways. Never.

"Lysander and Cricket sitting on the reef, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" the youngest, Serene taunted, swimming in quick circles around Crickēta.

"Serene," Crickēta growled, her fists still clenched angrily, "I'm warning you..."

"First comes love..."

"Serene!"

"Then comes marriage..."

"That's it!" Crickēta roared, charging towards the child, causing Serene to speed away from her, "If I catch you, you're dead!"

Little Serene stopped only momentarily to stick out her small, pink tongue at her cousin, and again raced off. Lysander remembered when Crickēta had stuck out her tongue at him, when she had been imprisoned... by _his_ orders. How could he have ever done such a cruel thing to her? The one called Hali was right. Lysander was an awful excuse for a merman.

While Crickēta was preoccupied chasing her chanting, and giggling cousin through the icy Murken waters, Lysander was left alone with the rest of her family. Namely, Hali, Xavier, the walrus, and Merrick, who currently held darling little Jira in his arms. Oh, how Lysander ached to take the child from the merman's arms and cradle Jira to his chest. The emperor owed Jira an apology just as he owed an apology to the rest of Crickēta's family. However, Lysander thought it best to leave the child where she was, safely wrapped in Merrick's arms, for the time being.

"What happened to you two?" Merrick addressed to the other Atlanticans, "What took you so long to catch up with us? We were beginning to grow worried."

"I was attacked," the leader, Hali, answered her cousin, as her body shivered.

Lysander couldn't blame the poor girl. Being nearly eaten by half starved sea spiders is a terrifying ordeal, and that was putting it lightly.

"Attacked?" Merrick repeated, with what Lysander could tell was the utmost concern, "by whom? By _him_?" the merman narrowed his blue eyes in Lysander's direction.

What was this? Lysander panicked. Did Merrick believe it was he who had attacked Hali? The last thing the emperor needed at the moment was for another member of Crickēta's family to view him as an enemy. He needed to rectify this, immediately.

However, before Lysander could transform his thoughts into coherent words, Xavier had already answered Merrick's harsh accusation.

"Actually," Xavier began, laying his hand along Lysander's shoulder... yet another form of this foreign bodily contact, "Lysander saved Hali's life from those giant sea spiders, and he saved mine too, for that matter. I trust him, and so should everyone else."

"Is that so?" Merrick asked, arching a singular dark brow. Little Jira, Lysander noticed, had now fallen asleep in the merman's arms.

"Yes, it is," Xavier maintained, and Lysander was genuinely grateful for the gesture.

"Hali?" Merrick questioned, as if he couldn't accept Xavier's word on the subject.

"Well," the redheaded mermaid began hesitantly, "yes, I would have been spider chow if it wasn't for... _him_." Hali admitted grudgingly.

"But how did he, you know, escape the kraken?" Merrick asked again.

There were many things in this world that Lysander could tolerate, but having merfolk speak about him like he wasn't even present, made his blood boil in his veins. He was the emperor, and the Atlanticans were in Murken territory. The least they could do was show the proper respect!

"That is a very good question," Hali used an aggravated tone, glancing coldly at Lysander, "perhaps my spell wasn't strong enough, and the bond I forged with Ketea broke."

Wait... Hali had said it again. How could the redhead possibly know Ketea's name? Lysander had never spoken it out loud to any of the Atlantican's before, not even to Crickēta. Yet, somehow, Hali had uncovered the name Lysander himself had given the kraken. It was almost as if the girl was able to communicate with Ketea, but that had to be an impossibility. Even the emperor didn't possess that sort of talent, and Lysander was many dozens of times more powerful than Hali ever was.

"How do you know Ketea's name?" Lysander asked, greatly interested in hearing the mermaid's explanation.

Only, Lysander's question was not destined to be answered, because instead of receiving a definitive response from Hali, the entire group heard the ear splitting cry emitting from Crickēta. Each member of the group, spun hastily around to investigate why Crickēta had screamed so suddenly, but the girl appeared fine. It was Serene however, that looked unwell. The child's body was straight and rigid, as Serene chanted something in a language the emperor did not understand.

_Бачанне не змянілася._  
_Больш не будзе зла каралевы_  
_тэрарызаваць мораў,_  
_Але вораг яшчэ небясьпечней,__  
_

"She's having another vision," Hali informed them all, suddenly adopting a very serious demeanor, "we'll all just have to wait until the vision runs its course.

A vision? Lysander carefully studied the form of Serene, and all the while, the mergirl continued to chant in those unfamiliar words. The most chilling aspect however, was the girl's normally, warm, brown eyes, were peeled open wide, and glowing with a sepia hue. Never before, had Lysander seen anything of this nature. Was this mere child a prophetess?

The emperor continued to gaze upon the child, who looked as if she were possessed by the Ancient's themselves. Serene remained in her trance like state, spewing out a relentless string of those foreign words. If only Lysander could understand what the child was saying!

Для Ladon не мае душу.  
Глыток крыві вялікая дзіцяці  
знішчыць усе балансу.

Lysander's mouth abruptly hung open. Had the child just uttered his cousin's name? Certainly he couldn't be hearing things. Serene had clearly enunciated the name 'Ladon' amidst the jumble of gibberish spilling forth from her mouth. If this child truly was a prophetess, and if she was indeed having a vision... if the vision had anything to do with Ladon, then that couldn't possibly be a good thing. Ancient's help them all.

At the end of the child's unexpected episode, an exhausted looking Serene collapsed in a fit of unconsciousness, but Xavier quickly, and expertly caught the child up in his arms. Lysander had to admit that even_ he_ was worried for the girl; Serene's family must be thoroughly terrified.

"She's only sleeping," Hali announced to the concerned group, having check on the child, brushing some of Serene's blond locks away from her face, "the visions take a lot out of her."

"What did she say?" Merrick demanded, seriously, and Lysander could tell that the merman had no intentions of beating around the reef.

"Does the name 'Ladon' mean anything to any of you?" the redhead asked, probably not expecting Lysander to answer her, but he did anyway.

"Yes," Lysander began honestly, hoping he might be able to help "Ladon is my cousin, and Tiamat's son."

The merfolk crowded about him all gasped in unison, except of Crickēta, who cringed.

"You forgot to mention that, did you Cricket?" Hali frowned at her cousin, yet never tearing her suspicious azure gaze from Lysander.

Things were not looking good for Lysander, at the particular moment in time.

"Hali," Merrick repeated in the gravest of tones, "what did Serene say?"

Without wasting another moment, Hali translated the child's strange words for the benefit of the group.

_The vision has changed._  
_No more will the evil queen_  
_terrorize the seas,_  
_But a foe even more dangerous,_  
_For Ladon has no soul at all._  
_A sip of the great child's blood_  
_To destroy all balance._

For the love of the Ancients, now Lysander understood it all. The mystery behind Ladon's motives had been unraveled for him. Ladon required little Jira's blood for his own private ceremony. But that did not matter. So long as Jira was with them, she was entirely safe. Ladon had no access to Jira or her blood, and soon the Blood Moon would pass, and everything would be fine. Serene's prophecy was not meant to occur... thank the Ancients.

Sighing in relief, that his darling Jira was no longer in danger, Lysander took a quick peek at the baby still held tightly in Merrick's arms. The emperor's heart pounded for a moment. Was that a bandage wrapped completely around the child's small neck?

"What happened to Jira?" Lysander demanded to know, "How was she injured?"

"When he says 'Jira', he really means Adelaide," Crickēta explained to the group, who appeared slightly confused at Lysander's words.

"Oh," the walrus began in a fearful voice, "a Murken cut her throat with a dagger, above the surface of the water."

Lysander gulped. For Ancients cause... no.

* * *

**Ultra Special Blah Blah**

Hello, loyal readers!

I would like to give a special shout out to MermaidRaven who was my 3ooth review for this story. A special thanks for reading, MermaidRaven, and thanks to you all, especially those of you who actually review. You all rock!

So, if everything goes according to my plan, this super long day that has lasted chapter, upon chapters, should end with the next installment! I am so excited about that!

Little town, it's a quite village,

xJadeRainx


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